Winters Fire Summers Ice
by Dark Vampress
Summary: "There is light and there is darkness, there is fire and there is ice, there is summer and there is winter, there is yin and yang and then Sakura... there is you and me. " Fate had bound them together by the strings of their hearts and the cells of their flesh from the moment the cosmos erupted. Fate did not intend to let them go. Their love would draw blood and corrupt souls.
1. Part I: Chapter 1

_Wow, here I am again, my first **official**, **official** story. I don't even know what to say right now, I'm really nervous and I have no idea what you guys are going to think. I just hope you all stay open minded, read this and enjoy it. Just to warn you guys, some chapters will be dreadfully long and other's dreadfully short and there will be a lot of chapters in this story, I don't know how many really but there will be a lot, in my estimation. However, I think this story is worth a read, so maybe the many chapters won't bother you at all. Please, read right along. _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

_**Summary: There are much bigger things to life and people play much bigger parts in it than they realize. There are many things hidden behind faces, many different things inside bodies and many different perceptions of what truly living is. What if what she had was not hers? What if it was all for him in the beginning? What if it all she had inside of her was all for their kind?Would he kill her and take it back since power was what everyone wanted? Or would he let her keep it because he loved her too much to take anything from her? What would become of them when fate and destiny had already created an outcome that could not be changed?**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto of any sort. This disclaimer is applied for ALL chapters. **

**{Chapter One}**

I couldn't breathe…I gasped for air, panicking as I glanced around me. I let out a series of coughs, grabbed the dirt and with one last heave I pulled myself out of the hole. I fell flat on the muddy, wet ground and let the glacial rain beat on my face, numbing my face. I coughed and coughed as the dirt clogged up my windpipe. It was dry and coarse, scraping my inner throat.

Why did I even save myself? Why did I claw out? I should have just stayed there, he should have drugged me just a little bit more and I wouldn't have woken up. I would be dead by now…in peace. However, I couldn't fight the human instincts to stay alive, so I saved myself. Once again.

I shivered, the night was cold and the dirty clothes stuck to me. I couldn't move, I was too tired and my mind was still in a strong haze of drugs. The world was spinning in different directions and shimmering, clouding and fogging around me. There was nothing I could do but just stay here in the rain and hope that I made it home. With my eyes wide open I mentally added this to my list of the worst possible things that could have ever happen to me in my life. My list was getting longer and longer every time and the longer it got the less I could take.

I was at my wits end right now. My mind couldn't even function right, my body was numb and the insides of my stomach clawed at me in protest. My breathing was off- rough, strained and forced-, my heart beat was odd and I was wheezing into madness. The cuts on my body must have been infected by now after being in the dirt for so long, suffocating slowly and dying from the inside out.

The pain was everywhere, my skin burnt like crazy and I was still bleeding. I couldn't really remember what happened this time to lead up to this, he drugged me a little too much, too many times and for too long that I find that it didn't even really matter much. His motives were always the same, interlocked and connected one way or another. It didn't matter how I got here or what lead up to it…I needed to get to the hospital before I really did end up dying and I didn't see how that was going to happen.

I was -at the moment- glued to the muddy, wet ground. The very ground I was in not too long ago. Maybe, this was the time I should just stay here and die. The human instincts were in but it didn't matter because I couldn't move. Maybe I should just die here and get it over with and make life easier for the world. I'm just taking up too much space as it is in life. I'm just here for no purpose at all. I'm just here, alive for the mere fact of being here and alive.

_Oh come on Sakura…please don't do this. You don't want to. _My inner said

_I don't want to live anymore…I can't live through all of this anymore. I just want to die…I've been wishing for it for so long. Being here is hurting me too much, for too long. _I told her.

She was silent and chewed her lip for a while. She knew I was talking the truth, she was so optimistic like me. I couldn't be optimistic now, I had to be realistic. I was going to die and I just had to accept it and be done with it.

_We can make it…_ she said finally.

What was wrong with her? _We can't make it…the hospital is so far away. We can't make it. I can't even lift my arm. _I said

_Well we're going to die trying. I'm not going to die when I know I could have lived….when I know we could have lived. Sakura we were going to move and start a new life, go to a new school and he was going to leave for a while. We promised we'd make it. We promised Ino we'd make it. We promised ourselves we'd make it._

I sighed and it was a painful act. My chest tightened painfully. She was right. I did promise that we'd make it and that things would get better for us. We were going to start over, the two of us. Ino was going to be there for us, I was going to live with her, my best friend when dad was away. I was going to move away from mom, I was going to begin again. The air was going to be different, the people, the lives and things would look up. The sun would start shining and I'd be happy. I'd get treatment; I would get help and be better. Tsunade was going to help me and my life would die as I walked away from this town and I would be born again as the new one started. I vowed I would make it, even this one last time, I vowed that I would.

But how could I? I never saw this happening to me. I sighed again then cringed, groaned and moaned in pain. It hurt so much. I made a vow; I was going to die trying to keep it than die giving up on it.

_Ok we're going to try. Help me as much as you can_

_I always help as much as I can. We need to get moving. _She said to me.

I gulped and ash, dirt and dust scarped my throat. I twitched my fingers, trying to get back feeling in them, up my arm, my shoulders. I moved my toes, awakening my feet, legs and thighs. I wasn't even standing and I could feel the weight of them. It felt like they weight of them had tripled, more than I could lift. I stuck my hands into the ground and pushed myself up into a sitting position. I felt drained and tired; exhausted. With the force I knew I did not really posses I got to my feet and staggered. Gasping, wincing, wheezing, coughing, tripping and bleeding I dragged my body to the direction of the hospital or at least, the direction I hoped it was. I knew I was pushing my body with the world spinning and twirling, going in and out all around me.

_We're not too far from the road. We'll be there soon and maybe we can find somebody to help us._

_Nobody is going to help us. I don't have to look in the mirror to know we look like worthless drug addicts and homeless people. Nobody is going to pick us up. Good people don't help people like us. _I informed her. I usually wasn't this bitter, I was always happy and all but right now that was impossible for me. I was freezing and dying with every step I took.

_You're probably right but there are a few nice people like us left…it's not impossible. We are bleeding-_

_It's the middle of the night, it is raining like storm and we're covered in mud. Sakura nobody is going to care if we're bleeding here. Please just stop. I can't take anymore. _I begged.

_Sakura I am sorry, _she said to me, _I am sorry but come on, please don't be like that._

_Don't apologize, you don't need to. Let's just walk…in silence _I said to her. She only nodded and my head was mine again. I prayed that Tsunade was still at the hospital and not home packing to move.

I stumbled through the last of the forest and my foot touched pavement. I didn't think I could go much further, I was gasping for air like a mad person and only half of what I kept gasping was actually coming in. The air scraped my windpipe and brunt my throat. Inside of my mouth felt dry and dusty like coal. My chest was tightening and I knew that I was having an attack.

_What time do you think it is? _I asked my inner as I leaned heavily on the light post that had been a few feet away from me. Not many cars were around I noticed so I guessed it was pretty late or maybe it was because of the rain.

_Um I really don't know…I'm going to guess and say it's after midnight, maybe like 1:35 or somewhere there. _She replied.

Not many good people would be walking around now at this time much less. So I was in a rut at the moment, a painful and bleeding rut. How do I get out of it? I needed some help and I needed it now or I'd be dead before I made the curb.

As I stared through the pouring rain I saw a black umbrella moving quickly this way. The person stopped not too far from me and checked the watch on their hand then they made one step, the process of crossing the road.

_What should I do? My voice is practically gone, I can barely talk. _I said to my inner, my mind racing.

_It's worth a shot, _she replied as she bit her lip.

_What if he doesn't-?_

_We don't have time for the "what if's" he's almost halfway across the road! We have to act now or we're dead for sure! _She screamed at me and I flinched.

"Hey!" I yelled as loud as I could which wasn't really loud at all considering the loud booming of the rain hitting the pavement. The figure stopped and looked around. Pushing my body, pushing it to its brink I walked right to the road and stepped on it.

His head was moving around and finally landed on me. Whoever they were grunted and began walking again.

"Please stop!" I begged as I coughed and a metallic taste filled my mouth. I coughed again and I felt it trickle down the side of my mouth; my blood.

The person stopped and their head whipped around to me so fast I thought they'd break their neck. "What?"

I flinched as a chill ran up my body. It was obviously a male and his voice clarified that for me. I squinted as the umbrella tilted up and I saw he was wearing black male high top Nikes, black jeans with a silver chain around the waist, a black T-shirt and a leather jacket topped off with a sleek, shockingly fitting, neat top hat. It went well with his black attire that he had on.

"Please help me," I gasped, "can I have a phone call please?"

"No," he replied icily and suddenly the rain didn't feel so cold anymore compared to his hard voice.

I felt a little relived that I couldn't see his face because maybe that would scare me too much. I needed that phone call, I had to try again.

"I won't take your phone or anything sir if that's what you're thinking." I said to him pleadingly. My throat felt like a fire was happening inside, burning it out making it course and rough. I staggered back, the pavement caving under me. "Please,"

"No," he replied

"Can you make the call for me then?" I blurted before he could turn around and begin walking again. I was heaving at this point and I coughed again. I put my hand at my mouth as I coughed again and a wad of blood hit my fingers. I looked at my bloody hand and it was shaking like a leaf. "Please, I'm dying." I rasped to him and he clearly could see that I wasn't joking.

"Who do you wish to call?"

"My doctor," I replied with a gasp.

"You have a doctor?" he asked incredulously.

Right, what was a junkie, homeless and worthless person like me doing with a personal doctor? I could understand that he was skeptic.

"Yes,"

"Name," he demanded.

"Tsunade," I wheezed and coughed again, grasping my abdomen in pain.

He chuckled darkly and turned around and made a move to walk away. "Make the call! You'll see I'm telling the truth," I said hoarsely, my voice was hardly above a whisper. My stomach clenched with agony.

He turned to me again and I heard him sigh over the rain. "I doubt that," he said harshly, "you look nothing more than some whore on the side of the road. I find no reason to believe that you would know the most famous doctor in all of Japan."

"Please," I begged, "I have no reason to bother you sir. Please just make the call for me. I need to talk to her, she needs to come and get me."

He sighed again and his hand went into his pocket and he pulled out a phone. "The number, that is, if you know it."

I gasped, choked and wheezed again for air before I answered him. I gave him the number and he put it on speaker. He walked over closer to me, not close enough to share his umbrella not that it would make a difference now anyways, so I could hear the phone.

"Hello?" a panicked voiced asked.

"Tsunade, it's me-" I began and she totally cut me off.

"My fucking god!" she screamed. "Where are you? Are you alright? Sakura, please tell me what's going on! What happened? Are you hurt?"

"The usual," I replied with a sob, agony making way to my tear ducts. "You have to come and get me; I'm not going to make it this time on my own." I said as I started crying like a manic again. "I hurt everywhere, I'm bleeding, and I can't breathe." I coughed and wheezed heavily. "Please come and get me."

"Oh my god!" she said. "I'll send the ambulance right away! You've had me so worried, I didn't know what happened to you, I thought I was going to go mad, you've been gone for so long. Where are you?"

"I don't know-"

"She's currently on Leo Drive 36 in front of the closed down supermarket." The man –who's name I did not know- replied for me. I could just kiss him but he'd be repelled by me anyways.

"Kami H. Mercy on my soul," she whispered, "what are you doing down there? Just what did he do to you?" she demanded.

I gripped my blouse as I cried; "I don't want to talk about it,"

The world was looping in and out of reality now. I was seeing four of everything around me and I couldn't feel the rain on my skin anymore even though I was standing in it. I couldn't feel the pain anymore around my body.

"We're coming right now, don't go anywhere." She instructed. I couldn't go anywhere either way. "Whoever this is, whoever is the person who made this call, I am asking you so kindly to stay with her until the ambulance arrives. Please, oh my poor baby I'll be there real soon. Just hold on in there." and then the line went dead.

"Thank you," I whispered to him. My job was done, and I know I was going to pass out and all I could do was hope I woke up.

_**Alright, so there it is, the first chapter down. Please review and let me know what you think. Like, seriously, REVIEW! Just click the button and let a home girl know what's up. I hope you guys don't think it's terrible…**_

_**Much Love,**_

_**D.V **_


	2. Chapter 2

_So here we are for a second chapter. I hope it's not too soon. I don't really know what to say, I just hope you guys like this and review and let me know what you think because trust me, reviews mean a whole lot to me. This chapter, I don't know what you guys are going to think. Maybe you're going to think it's cliché or something –I hope not- but you might and so I just want you guys to keep an open mind because I'm trying to make this as original as possible so…don't give up on me yet ^_^_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Two}**

Sasuke looked down at the girl who just hit the floor like a ton of bricks. He had the urge -it was so strong it had almost knocked him to his ass- to help her and that was exactly why he didn't help her. That was the reason why all he did was just stand there, look at his watch and wait.

He had no idea what it had been but this girl had the strongest hold him, the strongest control that when she told him to wait he had to stop, turn and actually wait. This girl -that didn't even look like she was worth anything, with the strangest of hair color he had seen in a long time- managed to hit some unknown cord in him. She was probably some sort of actual whore like he'd stated who really had no reason to deserve help from anybody but yet he found himself helping her –unwilling yes but helping her nonetheless.

He was not going to let this pathetic girl soften him up. It had annoyed him that he was bothered by how harsh and rude he was to her and it annoyed him more because he was actually annoyed.

Being what he was, her soul mixed with her blood smelled unnaturally sweet and intoxicating to him. It had him feeling that disgusting feeling like he was ecstasy. That too he didn't understand. Her blood, her soul, smelling so sweet, so luring and delicious he could taste it on his tongue, made him rigid and stiff. It called to him like a siren song in the night when the moon was as bright as the sun, casting silver onto the seas and land. It hit him, hard and fast across his face and the rain was falling. With the rain falling, the smell of the blood was supposed to be faint but it wasn't to him, it was as strong as anything else. He wondered what it would smell like in the day; he wondered what it was taste like on his tongue, her essence, her soul sliding down his throat, invading his nostrils, going and surging through his demonic veins. He could already taste it.

The smell of it made venom spew in his mouth and made his insides twist and turn with yearning to rip her apart and drink down the last drop of blood and suck out her soul down to the last corners of her very being that was inside her. He wouldn't touch her, he wouldn't dare. She was repulsive. She was an abomination upon his life. He was a Demon not some blood thirsty vampire looking for a prey. He didn't drink blood like them; blood didn't affect him like it affected them. Then why was her blood pulling him towards her?

_She is nothing but a worthless human with the control she does not deserve. _He told himself and just like that he backed away from her. He was standing too close to her, way to close. His control was only as good as the next person and it didn't feel even that strong standing next to her. He made sure that he was leaning on the wall away from her on the other side on the road. She was alive; he could hear her uneven, rugged and harsh breathing. He heard no cars within the mile so no harm would come to her limp body as she lay there.

He glared at her fragile body as she struggled to breathe; as she struggled to remain in this life time. There was that urge again, that pull, that demanded him to help her. He was not going to help her anymore than he already had. He had nothing to do with her, nothing at all. He wasn't going to make himself have anything to do with her. Why was she doing this to him? For god sake he felt like the son of the devil in hell by not helping her. He felt like a total ass.

_Let it be so _he thought firmly. He glanced at his watch again and his phone rang. He pulled it out, "what?" he snapped.

"Did you just 'what' me?" a beautifully bitchy voice demanded.

He smirked, "Yes Tami what do you want?" he rephrased.

"Still not good enough," she spat.

"Then fuck you." He replied simply and she laughed on the other line.

"I've been sitting here inside my house waiting for you to arrive so you could do just that." she replied. "Sasuke-kun where are you? You're concert ended over two hours ago." She whined.

He rolled his eyes, "I got caught up. I'm not coming," he said coldly.

"What do you mean you're not coming?" she asked like she hadn't heard him right.

"I mean what I just said," he replied to her.

She sighed, "But you promised!"

"I did no such thing,"

"Ok well not exactly but-"

"I'm not coming, the end," he cut her off.

There was silence and then a loud "humph!" and the line went dead. He rolled his eyes not caring much and put the phone back. She'll get over it.

Tami Montenegro was Sasuke Uchiha's current girlfriend. She'd been his girl friend for the past two months and was the "fan girl deflector" in his life. She was serving her purpose well and he saw no reason to dispose of her. There was of course the small factor that he had some little feelings for her, but it was nothing he couldn't kill within a few minutes or two if he did actually get rid of her. He smirked more than normal around her and that's where it really ended.

He was expected to be at her house right now fucking her, but well frankly the mood died when this girl showed up. He already had sex with a girl after his concert anyways; he could do without Tami right now. If he kept fucking her so often she would become useless rather too quickly for him. She wasn't as tight as she used to be and that was a huge problem as it was already. It was best that he just be satisfied with the brunette he fucked after the concert and leave Tami for another time.

He heard the ambulance in this distance coming and he felt the weight to be away from this girl began to lift. Soon he would be rid of her unwanted presence. He counted in his head and with one swift movement he was standing next to her. He decided not to breathe though the smell of her would be imprinted in his head, the taste of her blood mixed with the heavy dose of her soul on his tongue forever stained but it helped. It actually made him shiver with a high kind of ecstasy and if he wasn't careful he would have given into it and actually moaned.

The rain pelted his black umbrella and soon he could see the ambulance. He waited impatiently; he wanted to get out of the rain. His suit was getting too wet and it was annoying him. The ambulance parked at the side of the road and three people shuffled out including Tsunade. He recognized her quickly.

They rushed right to her, put her on the gurney and shuffled her into the ambulance. Tsunade barked orders at them in the rain, told them what to do and with a quick glance at him she said thank you to him, not taking the time to even recognize who he was. It didn't matter if she recognized him or not, he decided as the ambulance went on its way. He was rid of her and that's what matter to him.

He looked at his watch and sighed. It was after to three and at eight thirty he had to be at school, by twelve forty five he had a interview at a radio station, then a CD signing with the rest of his band and then a concert later in the evening.

He walked a little too fast but there were no witnesses, to his car that was parked around the corner. He got into his black and shinny Bugatti Veryon and closed the door leaving the umbrella at the side of the road. Somebody would want it he reasoned as he sped off and tried hard not to think of that girl with the pink hair at which he failed miserably.

_**There it is! Another chapter down! READ AND REVIEW! Also, I want to spread the love and thank all those who have read this and plan to keep reading this. If my chapters take too long to come up, I only ask that you check out my test story and have that occupy your time.**_

_**Much love,**_

_**D.V**_


	3. Chapter 3

_So here we are again with chapter 3 everyone! I hope to get more reviews and I hope you all like it and all of that. So, Read, Review and Enjoy of course._

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Three}**

I blinked even though my eyes were closed and furred my brows. I was coming around reluctantly. My mind faded in and out like the sun shining between the passings of clouds. Within a few moments all my senses came around and I groaned as noise burst my ear drums like explosives, shocking my mind.

"Sakura!"

_Ino._ I thought instantly and groaned in pain as the bed moved. I was in pain and it was well…painful. My head hurt me like serious crazy as if someone had hit me over the head with a base ball bat and a piece of lumber...twice. Slowly I opened my eyes and a scream lodge in my throat with the bulging of my eyes and the racing of my heart.

She scared me half to death. Ino was hovering right over me, her nose so close to mine and her eyes wide open staring at me. I gasped in pain and half relief.

"Sorry," she muttered with a small smile, "didn't mean to scare you there."

I groaned, "No it's ok," I said. My voice was hoarse and sounded dry and rusty from lack of use. I clasped her hand in mine and squeezed her hand when I was in pain as I tried to sit up.

"Ow," she said and I let go her hand with a look of apology.

She rubbed her hand with the other and smiled at me. Ino was my best friend since the day I was in my mother's womb. She was the one person that was always there for me and because of her I was also moving. Something I had always wanted to do; move from this place. I was too near to my mother and it constantly disturbed me. There were too many painful memories here, too much hurt accumulated until it was suffocating me.

Tsunade thought it would be a good thing for me to move too and with their help, we were all moving. Me, Ino, my father and Tsunade were moving to the Konoha. It worked out almost too perfectly and I remember promising her that I wouldn't die before I moved, that I was going to make sure I moved even if it was for her. This girl right here I would do anything for her. I'd die for her so she could live if the time ever presented itself and she knew it. I loved her so much.

"How long was I out?" I croaked.

"Well Tsunade called me in the morning yesterday after she was sure it was okay for me to see you so I guess you were out for almost three and a half days," she replied, "how are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

"I feel fine," I lied to her. If I told her I was in pain she'd worry and freak out until her head just snapped off her neck.

"Are you sure? I could tell the nurses to-"

"I am fine," I repeated to her more firmly.

She looked at me, disbelief plain in her eyes. I ignored it with ease and looked around the place. I was, as almost all the time, connected to a lot of things that beeped, dripped, tinged, made a light oozing sound, monotonous sounds and I glared at the drip and IV needle. I hated them, I even used to hate being here, at any hospital in general but now it's like my home. That still didn't mean I couldn't hate the drips.

"They have been killing me to see you," Ino said.

I looked at her, "who?"

"The little children down at the Pediatric Ward. I went down there to tell them that you might not visit; they almost killed me down there. I was doing those little cute monsters a favor; one slapped me in the face! Can you believe that?" she asked and I laughed at her.

She smiled and looked nervously at me again, "are you sure you're Ok?" she asked hesitantly.

I sighed. "I'm fine, honest." I said with smile. "When does Tsunade say I can come out of here?"

"She says whenever you wake up she'll decide that." she replied and fidgeted. "Sakura…what happened?" she asked.

I could tell she wanted to ask me that the moment she knew I was awake. I was just waiting for it. I still couldn't recall what had leaded up to the incident…I only knew that I was drugged, that was the only reason I wasn't able to remember. I had something up in my nose and it made it hard to talk, I was struggling.

_Do you remember what happened? _I asked my inner.

_You're memories are mine. Would you like me to walk around in your head and search through? _She inquired. I thought about and told her to go right on ahead. She came back shaking her head at me. Well that was just great for me because I was glad I didn't remember how I got there or what lead up to it. However, I wish more that I didn't remember anything before I fainted. I didn't want this in my memories but it was already imprinted in my head, there was nothing I could do about it.

I shuddered as I thought about it. "Uh," I began and cleared the sudden sob in my throat. I really didn't want to talk about it but I was going to tell her anyways. "I don't remember how I got to the forest. I guess that he drugged me. I don't know why, maybe we got into a fight or something. I can't remember." I croaked out to her and with a shaking hand I ran my finger through my overly long pink locks, the needles injected making the movement uncomfortable.

"That's ok," Ino whispered, "just tell me what you remember and what happened. What matters is that you're actually telling me, you don't have to if you don't want to." She said sincerely.

"I want to tell you," I said, "I have to tell somebody about…about it." I said. My throat got tight and I forced back the sobs. "I woke up and it was dark, I was in some sort of thin box like and I felt this weight on top of me, it wasn't too heavy but it was on my entire body…I couldn't really open my eyes and I couldn't breathe much. I clawed a hole in the box and I couldn't open my mouth and I felt dirt in my nose… I didn't really know what was going on until the hole was big and all the dirty came tumbling down on me. I was…I was…" I broke off and placed my head in my hands as the sobs broke free.

She was in the chair next to the bed and then she was sitting on the bed next to me. Her hands wrapped around me tightly, "hey it's ok," she whispered.

I wanted to believe her words but I just couldn't because it wasn't ok. Nothing was ok anymore; nothing had been ok for years on end. This was just one more of those things that wasn't ok, would never be ok, but saying that it was going to be ok was the only thing you could do.

That's what my life was like, false "oks" and false "it's going to be alright" all the time. They weren't true but with a life like mine there was nothing that could be done and words of comfort were the only things left. Before when all this just started it didn't seem fake; the words comforted me and they were my refuge and hope but now they didn't have much meaning to them and they didn't brighten the hope that was so dim it camouflaged into the darkness in which I was slowly sinking.

"No it's not. Ino he buried me alive! How can that be ok?" I asked. I was shaking and I swore it was the trauma setting in. I felt crazy; I felt as if suddenly I was going insane, as if everything was pressing down on me, like I was trapped in a cage that just kept getting smaller and smaller suffocating me. Claustrophobia began to creep upon me. The room seemed to have gotten so much smaller than it had been a few moments ago. I beat it back down with force; I wasn't in the ground anymore and I was just panicking. This wasn't a cramp space. I would be fine, just had to breathe.

_That's right…breathe Sakura breathe…_ my inner said to me in a calm voice. I wiped my eyes before I continued, "I didn't know what to do but I knew that I had to get up. I wasn't thinking about the things crawling on me, biting me. I didn't think about the pain, I just started clawing out. When my head came out I heaved myself on the ground on my back and I just lay there. That's when all the pains, everything that I tried to ignore, came on and started being registered by my body." I took a huge gulp of air, "I was going to die." I said.

Ino was a talker, my best friend yes, but a talker nonetheless. While I cried my eyes out, panicked and told her the story she was silent through it all. When I was finished I broke down again and this time she cried with me. She knew it was hard for me and my heart felt so heavy like an unwanted presence.

I didn't know what to do; I had to go home to the same man who tried to kill me because he was the only person I had left. If they got rid of him I would go to an orphanage, life would…I didn't even know.

I didn't want to go back home to him, after this I just didn't want to go anywhere that he would be. I didn't want to go home; right now I had no home. Not after this, not after all that has happened to me and the fear that stuck to me like glue intensified. I was scared out of my wits, I was scared out of my skin, I was scared to get up and walk down the street for fear he'd just grab me and beat me into another coma for doing nothing. I didn't do anything, I never did anything except exist and that was always enough for him. This summer was my breaking point; I didn't think I could take anymore.

"Ino," I sobbed as I grabbed her expensive blouse, "I don't want to go back home. I just can't…anymore…I don't…" I didn't even know how to formulate the words.

"Shh," Ino said to me, "I told you it was going to be alright. I told you this time things were going to be different." She said as she pulled away from me and wiped her eyes.

She picked up her Versace blue leather purse and pulled out two napkins. She gave one to me and I responded with a sniff and took it. She used another one to wipe her face. She then took out a carry-on hand mirror that was pink, her mascara, some lips gloss, eye shadow and some foundation powder. I didn't know how she made all that hold in the small clutch purse, really I didn't. She applied everything which took about fifteen minutes. She closed the mirror and placed everything back inside and looked at me.

"Yeah," she said continuing like she never stopped. "Everything is going to be different. I didn't want to bring this up and surprise you and then it didn't happen but I guess I should tell you now."

I raised an eyebrow at her. Ino's surprises were not always the smartest things in the world…she was more in the moment than I was and I feared what she might have to surprise me right now. I couldn't handle anything too big right now. "What?"

"Oh Forehead don't look like the world is going to explode," she said with a laugh, "I was talking to Tsunade and she did me a favor, for you of course. She did some research, well a whole massive research, like haunt your family tree down to the bone kind of research, like… the illegal, only reserved for government workers kind of research until she swore her eyes were going to start bleeding, and it turns out that you have an aunt that lives right in Konoha with her family. She's not like, close relative like second or third she's a very distant relative in the nook of your family tree. Almost like she got married to your mothers' second cousin or some shit like that, point is, she knew you all once upon a time. She said that she'd love to have you to come and live with her, she has more than enough space and I talked to your worthless father-"

"You talked to my dad!" I asked rasped incredulously.

"Well I had to Forehead, I didn't want to and I'd have preferred not to talk to him. You know that I hate him but I had to. I got him to agree to let you stay with them, said he doesn't want you living with him anyways and FYI I wanted to slap him in the face for saying that but I didn't because that would have really sucked in my plan and it might not have happened." Ino took huge gulp of air before continuing. "So now when we actually move you won't be living with him at all. Yes he's still moving, the bastard has to, you know more about that part than I do, but now you don't have to move on the other side of Konoha while I live on the other side because your relatives lives on my side and not too far from my house that I am going to move into might I add. It's perfect, you won't even have to see your father _and _yes there is more. The hospital there is one of the biggest and most advanced in all of Japan. You know Tsunade was going to move to Juno hospital because that was the closest to where you'd be but now she can move to the best on _and _be close to you! And I haven't gotten this part really worked out yet but I promise you –this girl- is going to make it happen. I was thinking that maybe after a year with them we could have them file for custody of you so you could stay with them and this way your Father has no power of you and you both can live like you don't know each other. That part isn't settled yet, but I was thinking of maybe giving that a shot if the beginning of my plan works out perfectly like it should. It's like a perfect plan, flawless just like Ino Yamanaka the person who came up with it! It just works out!" she gushed out with happiness.

I just gaped at her. I told you guys she was a talker, didn't believe me before I am sure you believe me now.

"There is just one problem," I said.

"What? There is no problem," she replied looking at her nails.

"Of course there is." I replied. "I can't go into their home and live. They don't know me Ino and I don't know them. I'd be imposing."

"If she thought so she wouldn't have been smiling so much and asked me when we would be moving; when I told her something like a day before summer ended, she asked if you couldn't move sooner, but you know we have to finish up everything here, Tsunade has a lot to finish up and she can't have you move without her then something happens and people who aren't aware of your situation go and try something and it ends up making you just that much worse."

"She's just being nice,"

"Well you'd be mean by refusing her," Ino contradicted, "is that what you want?"

She was making me feel guilty. "No," I said, "I don't want that, but-"

"there's nothing to 'but'," she cut me off, "you don't want to be mean you'd rather die before you do that so you're moving with her."

I bit my lip. I didn't know these people, they didn't know me. I didn't want to be a burden to them, a weight for them to carry. They already had their family; they didn't need another addition to that.

"Oh would you stop fretting and just be happy?" Ino said as she stared at me. "This is good, you know this is good. They want you there, she wants to see you. Sakura come on!" she urged me.

I sighed. Ino was right, I should stop fretting. They wanted me there and I guess it couldn't be so bad. I'd stay out of their way and lives as much as possible, help around as much as possible and earn my keep. If I earned my keep it wouldn't be like I'm imposing much on their lives. I could be of use to them somehow in some way, whatever way that might be. But it still didn't feel right to me, to just go and live with them like that.

"It's better than living with your dad." She whispered. "You don't want to go back and I made sure that you don't have to. That's what matters, fresh new start in every aspect of your life."

"Alright," I said shakily.

She beamed and hugged me tightly I had to moan in pain. "Yes!" she squealed. "Oh Sakura! We can go to concerts, we can shop on their hip strips together, we can go clubbing, to more parties! We can go to the beach! Konoha is the here and now all year round, they have the hottest trends, clothes, jewelry, parties, people! They have the world's largest band living there! Going to school! Sakura we'd both be going to the same school!"

"We will?" I asked lamely.

"Yes! The Sharingan goes to Konoha Oni High, the school of the schools! Can you believe that! We're going to be seeing the Sharingan in person! All of them! OMG! I think I might faint just thinking about it!"

I looked at her like she was talking in a different language to me. "Sharingan?" I asked. "Remind me who they are again,"

"Forehead you're just so lame when it comes to all this," she said as she hit her forehead. "You don't even know what they look like do you?"

"Uh…no and no I've never heard of them. If I have I don't remember, you talk about so many artist at a time it's hard to keep track of them all." I replied.

"Sakura you need to listen to music more,"

"I do listen to music," I defended, "well…not anymore much."

"Exactly. They haven't been around for more than like two years, which is why you….ugh!" she said frustrated. "You need to know what they look like,"

"It's ok," I said. "I don't need to know what they look like, just refresh my memory." I said to her as I shifted on the hospital bed which hurt so bad I had to bite the inside of my lip to not say anything.

"They're the hottest guy band on the entire planet."

_**Well there you have it guys, another chapter finished. If you have anything you want to say to me privately just PM me. Please review this chapter and let me know what you think and I hope you had a good time reading it. **_

_**Much Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	4. Chapter 4

_So here we are once again for another chapter. Before we get into it, I just have one thing to say. I know that you guys don't really like how short these chapters are but I assure you, they get longer, take it from me, I would know. So don't sweat it right now ^_^ On with the show and don't forget: Read, Review and of course, Enjoy! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōri no Fuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Four}**

"One last song!" Naruto screamed out from the drums asking the large crowd of over five hundred thousand people at their concert. They screamed, clapped and the girls shrieked for Sasuke shaking the ground. The ground shook like an earthquake.

"One, two, a one, two, three," Naruto counted as they began their last song for the night.

Naruto played the drums, Neji played the guitar and Shikamaru did the piano (he did both the auto tuned piano, the original piano and sometimes he connected the auto piano to his laptop to create other effects at the concert). The Sharingan were the hit, the top of the list. The most popular with the most amount of fans. They won best new artist and so much more it was unreal. Sasuke held the mike stand and began singing again.

_**Here I lie forever**__**  
><strong>__**Sorrow still remains**__**  
><strong>__**Will the water pull me down and wash it all away**__**  
><strong>__**Come and take me over**__**  
><strong>__**Welcome to the game**__**  
><strong>__**Will the current drag me down and carry me away**__**  
><strong>__**Suddenly the light begins to fade**_

___**HOPELESS**__**  
><strong>__**I'm falling down**__**  
><strong>__**FILTHY**__**  
><strong>__**I can't wake up**__**  
><strong>__**I cannot hold on**__**  
><strong>__**I will not let go**__**  
><strong>__**WORTHLESS**__**  
><strong>__**It's over now**__**  
><strong>__**GUILTY**__**  
><strong>__**There's no way out**__**  
><strong>__**I cannot hold on**__**  
><strong>__**I will not let go**_

___**Silent I go under**__**  
><strong>__**I am not afraid**__**  
><strong>__**I can see the daylight shine**__**  
><strong>__**And slowly drift away**__**  
><strong>__**Safe to say it's over**__**  
><strong>__**Sink into the grave**__**  
><strong>__**There is nothing left inside**__**  
><strong>__**But I am wide awake**__**  
><strong>__**I can hear the devil call my name**_

___**HOPELESS**__**  
><strong>__**I'm falling down**__**  
><strong>__**FILTHY**__**  
><strong>__**I can't wake up**__**  
><strong>__**I cannot hold on**__**  
><strong>__**I will not let go**__**  
><strong>__**WORTHLESS**__**  
><strong>__**It's over now**__**  
><strong>__**GUILTY**__**  
><strong>__**There's no way out**__**  
><strong>__**I cannot hold on**__**  
><strong>__**I will not let go**_

**Hopeless by Breaking Benjamin who does not exist in this story so here the song is 100% original**

The crowd went wild. The girls screamed, fainted and tried to get up on the stage. Sasuke bowed and walked off, not even glancing at any of them who begged for his attention. The screams still went on; they burst air drums and vibrated the floor.

Sasuke sighed as he leaned on the wall back stage and waited for the rest of them to come off. As always Naruto was the last to come off, unlike Sasuke he really loved his fans. His heart had a special place for every single one of them.

"Man that was awesome!" he yelled as he came in. His smile was huge. "Did you hear them? There were all jumping!" he yelled again with a rush.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at Naruto, "it happens every time we perform,"

"And it never gets old!" he said.

Sasuke felt his phone ring and fished it out. "Yo,"

"Sasuke-kun I'm so sorry I didn't make it to your concert, can you come over?" Tami asked with a slur.

He was about to reply when he heard Neji call him. He looked back at them, "we're going to the club. You coming?" he asked.

Sasuke thought about it…new pussy or Tami? "No," he replied to Tami on the phone, "I'm busy right now."

"Doing what?" she demanded. "You're concert is over, Sasuke please!" she begged.

"No,"

"Sasuke-kun please, for me!"

"hn," he replied. She squealed at the end of the phone and then hung up. Even though he didn't care much for her, that didn't mean he didn't care at all. He'd do things for her, and she did say please.

He looked back at them and Neji was the first to speak, "who was that?"

"Who else could it be?" Naruto said acidly.

"Tami," they all said together.

All three of them hated Sasuke's bitchy, bratty, needy, clingy, over-dramatic, Sasuke is mine, Sasuke fuck me every night girlfriend Tami. Naruto hated her the most and just saying her name made his tongue burn.

"Get over it," Sasuke said simply.

"When you get rid of her I will," he replied with a scowl.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. Once again their manager was late…as always and he wanted to go. He put his hands into his pockets and they chatted as they waited. Soon though Naruto got edgy and started complaining.

"Sorry I am late," Kakashi said as he popped up behind Naruto.

"Holy fuck dude!" he yelled as he jumped back. "Don't do that!"

"How was the concert?" he inquired ignoring Naruto completely.

"You're our manager, you should know," Neji said coldly.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and rubbed the back of his neck, "well about that…" he began, "you see…big people stuff boys."

"Who'd you go fuck this time?" Sasuke asked with a smirk. "That brunette from Star Bucks?"

"Her best friend wanted a piece as well," Kakashi replied.

"Oh right on dude!" Naruto said with a wide grin as he hi fived Kakashi.

"Niiice," Neji said with a smirk.

Sasuke didn't say anything just looked at Kakashi and waited. "Kakashi you were gone from the CD signing… eight hours ago," he stated.

Sasuke wasn't usually inquisitive but over the centuries of his life time, Kakashi's mysteriousness still baffled him. He'd grown to be curious of what he did in his spear time though it really wasn't any of his business.

"You're point young man?" Kakashi asked calmly

"You know you're old right?" Naruto asked.

Kakshi's head turned mechanically and he looked at Naruto, "come again,"

"Nothing," he said with a grin, "I said nothing."

"Alright well here's the deal," Kakashi said getting to the point, "with hard work and a lot of threats and almost losing half of my hand I have gotten you all that little three week break,"

"You're shitting me," Neji said.

"I shit you not," Kakashi said with a smile, "three weeks is all I could get you and the weeks to follow after that it going to be cramped. Stuff all your fun in those three weeks because you'll be living off straight coffee when it's done."

"Yes!" Naruto said. "More Ramen time for the master!" They all looked at him and he shrugged, "don't judge me,"

"Well then now this is good," Shikamaru said, "less work for me."

"You're three weeks starts after your next blow out concert here at Konoha. I will call whenever something comes up, I have things to do."

"Such as?" Shikamaru mocked.

"None of your business," he replied as he shook his head, "kids these days." He said as he began walking away.

Sasuke grunted, "I'm out," he said simply and began walking away.

"Teme!" Naruto yelled. "OI!"

"What?" Sasuke snapped. Naruto looked at him expectantly, "I'm not coming. I've somewhere to be," he said not going into detail.

It's been two weeks and up until now that pink haired girl always crept into his mind. He could still smell her tainted blood, her repugnant soul. Damnit!

Sasuke went through the back door and he heard the loud screams around the other parking lot. He shook his head; they really thought he'd park his car in the normal parking lot? These fans just never really stopped. With his hands stuffed in the pocket of pants he walked leisurely to his black Ferrari.

He got into his car and backed out. "Thanks for the Memories" blasted in his car as he drove down the high way leading to Tami's house. He tapped his fingers on the staring wheel as he drove bobbing his head slightly to the music.

As she came up in his head again he felt that guilty feeling creep upon him and that curiosity as to what exactly had actually happened to her. When he was leaning on that wall he noted several things wrong with her. She was bleeding everywhere, her heartbeat was so off and so slow it was as if it would give its last beat any moment, her eyes were red and foggy and he could tell that she'd be drugged more than anybody was supposed to be and blood leaked from her mouth and he guessed that she was bleeding internally and some war was happening inside her. The girl wasn't just in pain, he could tell that she was dying…quickly at that.

That's where the guilt came from. He knew she was dying and he didn't help her. He didn't touch her, he didn't move her and he didn't try. He wasn't a man to have a conscience but he couldn't help but feel like utter and complete shit for not helping her. It killed him to deny her help and that my friend angered this Demon more than anything else.

She had a power over him. He'd never see her again; he knew that but still he couldn't help but feel uneasy about it.

_**There you have it guys, another chapter! Review and tell me what you think and all that, give me all your thoughts. **_

_**Until next time**_

_**D.V**_


	5. Chapter 5

_Alright so I got a lot of helpful reviews the last time and I just want to clear things up. This is **not a copy** of any story and if you continue reading, I'm **positive** you will notice that. **Trust me; this story gets very…weird.** I do apologize if the grammar and punctuation is not up to par, I am working on it. Also, I know this isn't the best story in the world and that many of you won't review because you don't like it. **However,** if you actually do like it and review, the encouraging reviews means a lot to me so thank you. I haven't really decided if I am going to post this story to the end yet, I am actually waiting for a specific chapter to come before I decide that. **SO **during each chapter, if you see improvement please let me_ _know. I also encourage you to ask me any other questions that you need to._

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Five}**

_Dear dairy,_

_I cover all these bruises with band aids and makeup and pretend that they aren't there. I will myself to believe that I am fine. I openly delude myself to accept this lie I have created for myself as the truth. I refuse to deal with all that is around me and all that is within me. I don't want to end up where my mother has and I believe that I am better off this way. It's better to believe a beautiful lie than a terrible truth isn't it? Why not spare myself from all the wounds that have been created? Why should I accept reality? Why should I accept all this pain? I can't burden others with my insignificant issues so what else is left for me to do? I am all I have which, the more I think about it, isn't a lot. If I believe that I am happy and fine then so will everyone else. This is my truth, it is all I know. _

_I know I am not the only who smiles through everything terrible has happened. I know I am not the only one in this world that smiles after people bring me down since it is the only thing I know how to do. My smile is the only mask that I have, the only armor I have made for myself. There must be someone out there who is like me. I think I also force myself to believe that I am not alone even when I truly am. _

_The thought of Ino makes inside of me feel hollow. A pain I have never known; the feeling that I have lost her rages within me. I feel as if I am suffocating when I think of her. I am angry with myself for what I have done to her. When I die –which will be very soon- how will she ever let me go? I don't want to cause her any pain. I don't want to hurt her but I have no control over death. I want to make memories with her; I want to make so many memories it's hard for her to keep track. I want us to have an adventure, something she would never forget. I want us to experience something so great; something so powerful the memory never dims or fades with time. I want to make sure that when I leave, she'll have enough memories to think about that she's able to move on without me. _

_I am moving tomorrow and I'm afraid to move in with these people. New people never fancy me; they never give me a chance to see that I am really a nice person with a clean heart. New people never give me the time of day. They might not like me, they might think bad things about me but Ino says it'll be fine and I just have to believe her. She is the only thing I have to believe in anyways. _

Sakura sighed as she placed the pen down in her dark blue diary. It was a simple large red one made of suede that locked to the side. It opened with a charm on her bracelet around her hand. It the one her mother had given her when she thought her mother had loved her. Her eyes traveled around her room; the haunting white walls, the empty dresser and the one open window. Her room was fairly small and held very little of things that belonged to her. She gazed out the window. This was her last day in her home town. Tomorrow she'd be somewhere completely new.

She looked back on the page she'd just finished writing on. The page was gray and the ink of her pretty pen a deep blue. Lately she'd made so many entries a day and written so many things, she couldn't help but wonder how long the book was going to last.

"Sakura!" she heard a scream and quickly closed the book and locked it.

Ino entered the half empty room and grinned. "Can you believe it? You won't guess what I just pulled off!"

"You got yourself a new pair of shoes at a 20% off sale for 70% off?" she guessed with a nice smile and rose from the bed and dropped the book into her open suit case.

"You know, I did see these awesome Paris Hilton shoes but because it was Paris Hilton I chose not to get them." Ino said as she jumped on Sakura's bed. "I got us VIP tickets to go see the Sharingan's last concert before their next break. How awesome is that?"

"Well I guess you must have somebody else going with you." Sakura replied as she came on the bed and sat cross legged. Ino sat up and gave Sakura her 'what the hell are you talking about' look. "Ino I'm not allowed to go," Sakura said, "it is not good for me…I'd probably faint there or something. You already know how I get in crowds. Also, I have an issue with tight or packed places, remember?"

"Oh come on Sakura!" Ino pleaded. "You're going to make me go alone? This is supposed to be the first thing _**BIG **_thing we both do together. I mean it's the SHARINGAN you have to come! You must! I bust my ass to get these VIP tickets! You don't know what I had to DO to get them for us!"

"Talk to Tsunade then," she said softly.

Ino scowled and flipped out her phone. "Fine if that's how you want it. You are coming with me, no questions asked." she grumbled.

Sakura laughed, "I love you too Ino,"

"Oh don't try that on me!" Ino snapped as she slapped Sakura's hand away that tried to take the phone. Sakura laughed and held her hands up in surrender.

Ino waited and soon Tsunade picked up. Sakura hoped for a civilized conversation between them but Tsunade and Ino's opinions were always at odds and as expected they argued over the phone. Sakura tried to stop them, Ino, to be more specific but seemed to fail before she even got a full sentence out.

"God Tsunade She'll be fine." Ino insisted.

"Ino maybe you shouldn-" Sakura began.

"What's _your_ problem? She's 16 and it is back stage! Less people are back stage! And what would you know about concerts in your old age?"

"Hey Ino don-" Sakura said about to try again but Ino ignored her.

"You're robbing her of her teenage years!" Ino objected.

"No she's not," Sakura said warily. "Ino it is ok-"

"You're being such a fun sucker! She's my best friend and I refuse to let her die unhappy!"

"Ino who said anything about dying?" Sakura asked.

"JUST SAY YES!" Ino shrieked, throwing her hand wide in frustration, knocking Sakura off the bed in the process.

Sakura's body hit the floor with a thud. She had fallen on the small wad of clothes on the floor, waiting to be folded and packed. She thanked the Lord it broke her fall. She groaned on the floor.

"Thank you," Ino said and shut the phone. Ino wiped her face and looked over the bed at Sakura on the floor, "easy peasy." She replied with her famous smile.

Sakura groaned and then laughed. She couldn't help but laugh, "You were vicious,"

"It's a business world. You have to be vicious to get the results you want," she said with another dazzling smile.

**Moved**

Sakura stood outside the huge house and just gazed at it. She had no idea how long she had been there just staring because she was still afraid to go inside and meet them. Ino was with her parents at her house unpacking and all of that so Sakura was here all by herself.

With a determined sigh she walked up the steps and pushed the door bell. She didn't hear anything and was about to push the door bell again when the door opened to reveal a slim black haired woman in a yellow sun dress. She looked pleasant in her late twenties though Sakura knew better. She looked at Sakura and a big smile came across her lovely oval face.

"Sakura," she said with satisfaction, "you're beyond what I expected."

"What did you expect?" Sakura inquired in a small voice.

"A beautiful young lady of course," she replied, "but not as beautiful and young as this. My dear you are so lovely! Just look at you!" she said as she drew Sakura into a tight hug. "ohhh it's so good to have you move in with us!"

Sakura smiled timidly, "I am happy to be here," she said as she bowed formally.

"Oh no need to do that sweetie, we're all family here. You look just like your mother," she said with a smile, "but lovelier, next time you talk to her don't tell her I said that. She'll rip my head off. It's been a long time since I talked to her, you know, since she started going to the therapist. Why aren't you living with her and your father?"

Sakura stared at the woman with an oblivious look on her face. Sakura had no idea what she was talking about. Sakura's mother used to see a therapist but that was before everything took a tragic turn and she was forced to live in the mental facility on the outskirts of her old town. She hadn't seen her mother since. Hadn't this woman been told about that? Her mother had been in the facility for years now.

"uhh-"

"It's alright; I can see you're not to talk about it. Come in, come in." she urged as she stepped aside and made way for Sakura. "I'll bring your things in." she said to Sakura. "Just go inside I'll be right there."

Sakura walked into the huge house and gazed at it in awe. When they said they had more than enough space they were not kidding at all. She walked into the living room and stood there. The ceiling was high and made of wood. The way in which the woods were organized it looked like the ceiling formed something pointy like a witches hat but she knew that the ceiling was flat for there was a second floor. Walking directly straight from the door you went through an arch way and down three small steps and you were in the living room. In the center was a glass coffee table and dotted about were three couches. They were made of leather and were light cream. Beside each couch was a beautiful side table and flower pots were spotted about the extremely large living room. Bean Bag chairs were place leisurely in front of the large flat screen TV. If you stood in at the bottom of the three steps and looked to your left four small steps took you up to the kitchen that had an open counter looking directly in the living room so you could watch TV while in there. To the right was a long hallway and a stair case. At the back of the living room was a clear sliding door which showed two pools. Her brows furred…two? The place was beautiful with the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. She decided to wait for the woman.

The woman walked in to the living room and gestured her to sit. Sakura sat down on the cream leather couch and folded her hands in her lap and looked down on them.

"Well my name is Rin and I have my daughter Atona and my husband Yuji." She said with a smile. "Yuji isn't here right now, he'll be gone for sometime on business but you'll love Atona. She'll just love you too."

Sakura smiled. "Thank you," she replied, "it's very nice of you to take me in like this."

"Oh don't worry about it. Family is family, that's how I see it. Now I have to get started on dinner but I just sent the maid who comes and cleans with your luggage to your new room. We renovated and fixed it up for you and I hope you like it. It was Atona's old room but since she wanted to move out of it for a while now, she took another room instead. Just go up stairs, turn right then your first left and you'll see the door. Your name is on it."

"Thank you so much,"

"It will be good to have you here, you start school tomorrow. I am sorry that you have to start school so soon but once Konoha Oni High opens it doesn't really take any transfers. The school it very strict about these kind of things."

"No it's fine," she said quickly, "thank you for going through so much trouble."

"Well," she said getting up, "you go on to your room and I'll get started on dinner." She said with a warm smile.

Rin was a lovely woman with a nice comforting smile. Sakura liked that and she could only see her daughter a mirrored image of her. Sakura nodded her head, said thank you again and they both went about their business.

**Sakura's P.O.V**

I didn't know what to expect when I arrived here. I was afraid to even talk to her. I always had an issue with speaking to others. People managed to intimidate me with their confidence that I obviously lacked. Everything was so different now. Nothing would be the same.

I walked on the carpet down the hall and saw my door. I knew it was mine since my name was on it. I smiled. That was so nice of her to do this for me; a stranger. I opened the door and stepped inside and I could not go any further.

The room was far more than I had expected to have. It was far larger than my pervious room and had far more things already inside of it. It was in white but it had a nice bed with a blue and polka dot sheet, a book shelf with lots of books and different kinds of boxes and jingles on top of it. It also had a writing desk with a computer on top of it. I wasn't one of those girls who really knew how to use technology such as the computer. It wasn't that I couldn't learn it, I had just never found it entertaining before to even try. I was only expecting an empty room, with a bed and nothing more.

I unpacked my clothes slowly and I found a lot of things: pens, books and jewelry that I suspected Atona had left. I would have to give them all to her when I finally met her. I sat on the edge of the bed when I was finished unpacking all my things and just looked around. I didn't bring a lot of things with me; it wasn't as though I had many things to have brought with me even if I wanted to.

They were so nice; I had no idea how I was going to pay them back for it. I wondered as I sat down what this was going to be like now. I mean I had all the memories of what I left behind in my home town and all that might follow me here. I wondered how different things were going to be for me. At my old school not a lot of people liked me; Ino was always the one who picked up for me. Why they didn't like me I would never know, I don't do anything to people but I guess my presence is all it takes.

I wondered if it was going to be the same thing here, people who hated me and tried to get me down all the time. I hope I left that behind. I took a deep breath, this was a new life. No more beatings, no more being buried alive and having continuous nightmares. This was a fresh new start. What more in this world could I possible ask for?

_So how's it going to be now? _My inner self asked me calmly.

_I don't know, we're just going to have to wait and see. Who knows, I might even find myself here. _

_But you already know who you are, _she said confidently

_Just sometimes I'm not so sure. _I told her as I lay on the bed and gazed at the ceiling.

_It's because you can't remember… _she stated

_Yes because I can't remember. It's just a blank wall right there it bothers me all the time. _

_But you weren't even old enough then. Does it matter who we were before you turned seven? _She asked.

_I don't know. When I think about it, it does seem like it matters. Like there is something I'm missing out of this puzzle. But that is how I'd feel of course; at least that's what the therapist said. Any memory lost no matter how minute is going to feel important. Maybe it wasn't but I just wish I knew. It feels like a chunk of me is just missing. A big empty chunk, _I told her with a sigh.

She was silent and just nodded to me in my head and recoiled into herself to leave me alone.

Even though it was nice here, spacious and clean I couldn't help but feel out of place. I know, I wasn't used to the environment or anything yet but I couldn't get rid of it. Something felt strangely…wrong. Something just felt far too odd.

I just stayed there and gazed at the ceiling until I fell asleep on the extremely comfortable bed. There was a soft knock on the door when I stirred and brought my attention to full function.

"Sakura," Rin's soft voice called from the other side of the door.

My head pounded and I groaned in pain. I didn't have any of my pills yet, I had nothing to take for my horrible migraine. There were three stages of migraines; at seventeen I had the worst. The third stage known as Silmaxiditia **(a/n I made that up and just to make sure, a lot of things to come will be made up and very fictional).** I took deep breaths and rose from the bed. The room spun and shifted as I wobbled to the door. I grabbed the handle to steady myself and opened it. I took a huge gulp of air and leaned my body weight on the door frame.

Her eyes widened, "are you alright?"

My hands flew to my head as it felt like it was about to explode. I mumbled a yes to her and I noticed that she rolled her eye at me. "You need to sit. You look like you're about to faint." She said as she took my forearm and guided me towards the bed.

I sat down and my head fell into my hands. I knew it was because I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. The pain was numbing, I could feel the chemicals reacting with my brain cells sending out the pluses and inflictions in my brain. The way how migraines work is that when it starts it feels like it's never going to stop. Your head feels like it's being ripped apart, stabbed, probed with explosives that just keep going off and it feels like your head is on fire; an inferno.

My head ached and I looked up at her and smiled, "I'm completely fine," I said in a tight voice, "I'm just having a bad headache," I replied to her.

"Well the dinner is ready down stairs, that is, if you'd like to eat now." She said in a sweet voice.

"Eating now is fine," I said nicely.

"I hope you like fish," she said

"I'll eat anything you cook. I don't complain," I informed her.

"Well you can come down stairs and eat. I'll put your food on the table."

"Thank you very much, I really appreciate it. Everything as a matter of fact,"

"Oh no need to thank me. I know you're grateful. Come down soon because I know you don't want it to get cold." She said as she slipped back out the door and closed it behind her.

I sat there for another five minutes before I rose and went down stairs to the dining room-where I sat with Rin and began to eat. I was picking at my food just a little because I wasn't really hungry and I didn't want anything much to eat. The simple fact that I _should _eat considering the migraine was due to lack of eating didn't help me. The idea of eating made me want to throw up.

I was still so nervous. We made small talk for just a little while and then because of my headache I couldn't really keep it going. I tried my best and I felt awful that I couldn't hold a conversation with her but there was nothing I could do. The pain was too much to ignore. While we were at the table I heard footsteps and a girl came down the stairs.

"Later mom," she said in an annoyed voice.

She was extremely pretty…long brown hair caught in a pony tail with dark purple highlights and pretty blue eyes. She dressed very nice and her features were very soft. She was beautiful. She was upstairs all this time and I didn't notice? I was in the room alone and didn't go anywhere I thought so maybe that was why. I suddenly admired her, she was so beautiful.

"Atona, I'm sure you see your cousin right here. Be nice and say hi," Rin instructed.

Atona turned around and glared first at her mom, "why?" she said as she turned her glare onto me, "I don't even like her."

"Atona!"

"I'm not going to lie and besides why would I say hi to somebody I don't like?" she asked. "That would make me a hypocrite."

"Atona," Rin said in a flat and hard voice.

Atona rolled her eyes, "Hey. If we act like we don't know each other I'm sure we'll get along just fine." She clipped then rolled her eyes and turned. "Later mom I'm going out," she said darkly stressing the last two words.

I didn't say anything not that there was something I could say. It wasn't such a big surprise that she didn't like me, not many people did anyways. I expected her to be somewhat like her mother but it was apparent that she wasn't. I sighed heavily and went back to picking at my food when the front door slammed shut.

She had hurt my feelings and I could feel the tears begin to come to the surface. I was always easy to hurt being the uncontrollable softy that I was. I gritted my teeth because I refused to cry on my first day here. I took a deep breath and sniffed in the air to calm myself. I didn't even do anything to her, I never said anything, I have never even met her and she didn't like me. What else was I supposed to expect anyways?

"I'm so sorry Sakura," Rin apologized, "Atona hasn't been in a good mood lately. Forgive her; she's not always like that. I didn't mean for that to-"

"It's alright," I cut her off with a warm smile, "no need to even apologize," I said and hid the hurt behind my eyes where she couldn't see.

"Are you excited to go to school tomorrow?" she asked changing the subject.

"Ecstatic," I lied and smiled when I noticed how much her eyes lighted at my response.

_**Alright, there we go everyone. Read and Review. I'm sorry if my uploads aren't like...orderly or anything. I have most of the chapters written, but because I haven't finished writing the entire story, I can't post up a chapter until I'm sure there is nothing about it left to change.**_

_**Much Love, **_

_**D.V **_


	6. Chapter 6

_This chapter is a short one but the next one will be a long one I assure you. I hope you enjoy and review. _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Six}**

Sasuke groaned and his hand slammed down on the alarm clock next to him on the bed side table, splintering it into pieces. He swore and closed his eyes tighter. He wasn't ready to get up. It was useless though; once his mind stirred that was the end of him. He groaned and sat up in his large bed. He yawned then ran his fingers though his hair and blinked.

His morning had officially begun. There was no need to actually be tremendously smug about the whole idea but he inevitably was tremendously smug. Within fifteen minutes he had taken a shower, dressed, ate his breakfast and was walking out the door; down the tiled, long, wide Mansion drive way.

"Sasuke!"

"What?" Sasuke asked darkly and huskily as he spun around to face his mother.

She sighed. "Forget it. I was going to wish you good luck today but it seems you don't need it." she said brokenly.

He rolled his eyes at his mother in annoyance. "Mother," he said indifferently, "what is it?"

She beamed and gave him a swift hug that would break all the bones in your body. "Have a good day at school honey."

"You should really stop doing that and don't call me that." He said shrugging before he began walking away.

"Grumpy much," She teased.

"I'm getting old," he said, "It is full time that I die." He replied as he got into his car and started the engine.

He could hear his mother loud and clear all the way from the front of the house talking. He chose to ignore her, she was becoming a real pest lately; a pest. He shouldn't think that of his mother but that was how she was. He could only stand her optimism for so long without losing his mind which was already in bad shape. She was though, the only woman –next to his maid at his home- that he really cared about and the only woman who could –if she really wanted to- get him to do anything she asked. She was like a rose, so pretty, so fragile, beautiful, and lovely that you'd just want to do things for her, even if she could do it herself. He loved his mother, but she was getting on his last nerve. Why had he decided to spend the week at the house? Right, because she had begged him to come and spend some time with them.

He could have been staying at his own house but he couldn't turn his mother down no matter how badly he really wanted to. That would have been disastrous.

As he drove to school he turned up the music and listened to the lyrics. He should really be playing his own CD that was about to be released to see if there was any changes he'd like to make but from he'd listen to it the first time he didn't need to listen to it again. He had everything already down in his head and he didn't have the time or the forbearance to sit and listen to every single detail of his song. That wasn't his job and he wasn't going to do it out of his own good heart. He was already quintessential to them; it didn't get any better than that.

Sasuke drove into the school parking lot and the fan girls fawned over to his car and the screams began. He rolled his eyes, placed his shades on and stepped out of the car. He was almost immediately greeted by Tami who wrapped her arms around his and with one glace at the mob of girls seemed to recoil. They made way for the golden couple as they walked.

Some girls fainted, some drooled, some glared at Tami with anger and jealousy and others admired because of how perfect they looked together walking. Truth be told, the girls at the school weren't that eccentric as they used to be. They got to see Sasuke more or less every week and so, the screams never lasted very long. They weren't over bearing or as crazed as the fans at his concerts.

Tami was tall, had beautiful blue eyes and hair the color of rich caramel. Her voice was a bit high pitched and her nose a tad too straight, her lips were tin and perfectly lined and her jaw bone nice and smooth. Due of her generous proportion of height, she looked very much like a model. She was breath taking when she wanted to be. She was in all honesty a beautiful girl.

"Don't you just hate when that happens?" Tami asked as she kissed him on the cheek as they continued to walk. "They still can't accept the fact that you're all mine, but I can't blame them. Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself." she said with a wide smile and purred into his ears.

He smirked but remained silent. He wasn't much of a talker especially in the mornings. Since he got up, he felt something out of the norm around him. He didn't fully know what it was but he knew something was going to greatly displease him today. If there was one thing Sasuke hated, it was being displeased.

"So I was thinking since I canceled what I had to do Friday I could come to your concert. I don't have a ticket but I'm sure you can get me one right?" Tami said innocently.

"hn," he replied.

She squealed. "You're like the best ever Sasuke." she beamed. "Perfect! Since the little brat is off to her own house I don't have to watch her and stay home anymore. I can get back to going out. We haven't even been on a date in like forever."

Sasuke rolled his eyes in sudden annoyance. As far as he could tell he'd never even asked her out. He didn't need to and they haven't even been on an actually date, in his opinion. To her it was likely that it was seen as a date. He couldn't bother with her in the mornings, she talked a lot and he was not a morning person.

They walked down to her locker where she got her books and as he walked her to class he saw his friends.

"Morning Teme!" Naruto yelled ignoring Tami.

Sasuke did a simple nod to acknowledge all of them.

They grunted their good morning and they all started walking. Only Naruto was the morning person really in the group. For some reason it was as if he was always in a sugar rush, his eyes perfectly blue as the sea when there were no clouds over head and the sun beamed mercilessly and his face bright like a fresh spring. Yes, he was the morning person which was sometimes annoying.

"Sasuke," Neji said, "the time for the signing changed."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Kakashi says that something came up. He says if we go on time we're going to have to wait an hour before the signing. They don't want to refund the money to all the fan girls." Naruto said.

"What time is then?" Sasuke asked.

"It's been moved to 2pm," Shikamaru stated

Neji then noticed Tami for the first time. Though he didn't like her he was raised to respect all others. He was -for the most part- a versatile gentleman. "Good morning Tami," he said politely.

"Now you're seeing me?" she snapped.

He smirked, "you should be happy just for the fact that I did." he replied menacingly making her body turn to glue on Sasuke.

Sasuke glared at Neji, "don't do that, don't scare her." he said.

"I was merely being polite." he said as he gave her a dark look and smirk when he noticed the fear in her eyes. He chuckled and with his hands into his pocket he spoke: "see you in class." He said coolly and began to walk ahead of them.

"Why does he do that?" Tami fumed.

"I'm not him," Sasuke replied coldly.

She rolled her eyes, "tell them not to talk to me. I don't like them and they don't like me."

Sasuke gritted his teeth and stopped at her class door. If he said anything it wouldn't be anything nice. He knew how and when to hold his tongue. Tami was becoming more and more of a nuisance to him with every passing day. His patience was running thin and if she continued to get braver in her demands as if he was her slave very bad things would happen to her.

She tipped on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Her face flushed and she smiled timidly, "see you after class?" she asked sweetly.

"We'll see," he said dismissively and walked off.

She sighed and glared at his back…with a frown she went into class.

_**There you guys go. **_

_**Much Love**_

_**D.V**_


	7. Chapter 7

_Here we are again! Read and enjoy!_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Seven} **

Sakura gaped at the school and fear took control.

"Sakura come on! We're going to be late!" Ino yelled hurriedly, looking back and forth from the school to her best friend.

"It's so big," she mumbled, "Ino I don't think I belong in a place like this." She whispered.

"Sakura, we're going to be late for our first class if you don't hurry." Ino said as she took Sakura's forearm. "Sakura, you're trembling,"

"Because I'm so scared," she whispered as Ino dragged her along, "look at all these people; look at the size of the place. It'll be easy for me to get lost." She mumbled.

"Hush hush," Ino stated easily, "we'll get a map and you have me. Besides I could always get someone to show us around, the Ino charm never fails." She said.

Sakura watched as the students hustled and bustled to their classes. They all looked so high class, rich, powerful, smart, studious and civilized. They looked perfect and in order and here she felt completely out of place. In her own she was as poor and penniless as a stone. She didn't belong in a society like this, a school like this. This wasn't her scene and she knew that it would be long before she fit in here. It was the best school though and that's what she was here for, academics and that was it.

"Remember that you promised to take me to the hospital," Sakura said as Ino yanked her around the corner. Her feet stumbled in front of each other as they tried to keep up with Ino.

"I know, how could I forget something as important as that Forehead?"

"I was just reminding you,"

"No need to. We are so late it's crazy. There are so many freaking corners, when are we going to reach already? Oh here we are," she said sweetly and she pushed the class door open. The teacher wasn't inside yet so they weren't late in Ino's opinion.

When they both stepped inside silence took over the place and everyone stared at them…Sakura to be more specific. Her hair color always seemed to do that. Ino scanned the seat and a squeal erupted from her sexy lips.

She gripped Sakura's hand and leaned into her ears, "Sasuke is in our first class! And all of them! They're all in our homeroom! Holy shit! Do you know what this means?"

Sakura looked at her lamely. "Who are you talking about?"

"The Sharingan! They're in our class!"

"Oh," Sakura said in a raspy voice, "I think we should sit Ino," she said as her eyes locked for a split second with Atona. So they too had the same home room. Sakura looked away and just then the class door opened and a female walked in.

"Okay BE QUIET!" she barked and Sakura jumped. She looked that the two of them and smiled lovingly. "Welcome to room 103 girls. I'm Delilah your homeroom teacher and math teacher. Please introduce yourselves and find a seat. Blondie I want you at the front you look like a talker and I can't deal with that this morning. Go on a head." She said as she took a seat.

Ino scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm Ino Yamanaka. I have nothing to say about myself that you won't find out while I'm here." she said and batted her eyelashes.

"I'm Sakura an exchange student. Nice to meet all of you," she said in her timid and sweet voice as she bowed respectfully. Eyes rolled and girls scoffed.

"Good find your seat," Delilah said.

Sakura scanned the room for a seat and mentally groaned when she noticed the only seat not at the front was at the back away from the window. She took a deep breath and headed for the seat.

"What does she think she's doing?" a girl almost shrieked.

"Sasuke is going to get rid of her in ten minutes. She's got no chance. I mean look at her ugly hair." Another girl sneered.

"I'm giving her five minutes, ten is way too much. She's not pretty enough to last _that _long."

"I hope he calls her a whore because she sure looks like it." Another commented. "No wait I change my mind, she looks like my grandma!" The girl giggled. "And she has all her buttons…buttoned!"

"Ladies," the teacher said, "don't let me tell you to things a teacher really shouldn't tell you in here. This is not my morning and I'm trying to hold my tongue and be professional with this horrible hang over I'm having. Don't get on my wrong side this morning or I'll be throwing detention right in your faces so SHUT UP! No comments!" she barked.

Sakura bit her lip and ignored the nasty comments and sat down in her seat at the back. She went into her messenger bag and pulled out her math note book since math was the first subject for the day. As she was closing her bag she felt a twinge of something inside of her, something pulling at her softly and she looked at her neighbor and stopped. He looked…amazing. His eyes onyx, black as the moonless night burned with undying hate. Her heart sped up and her head swirled and she sank into herself and quickly looked away with a deep blush on her face.

Sakura felt very uncomfortable in her seat. Her chest tightened and her head swayed. She took deep breaths and when class started it was hard for her to focus. From the corner of her eyes, she glanced at him and felt fear creep up her neck. Why was he looking at her like that? What had she done?

With her elbows on her desk she massaged her temples as she could feel the migraine coming on. She had pain killers but with her they didn't really work too well but it was the only thing she could find in the medicine cabinet in her room.

_Just take them, it's our first day, they already don't like us and we don't want to make a scene. _Her inner said

_I'd have to take two, you know that right? What if somebody sees?_

_Nobody is watching-_

Sakura gasped and groaned in pain as the migraine slapped into her. With her elbows on the desk she massaged her temples as tears welled in her eyes. Her brain felt like it was growing inside her cranium which didn't have the space for the enlargement. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths.

With a shaky hand she dipped into her bag and took out the container holding the pills. The dropped two pills into her palm before she put back the container. She had no choice but to take the pills dry and that was exactly what she did. She placed them into her mouth and with ease swallowed. The class would be over before the pills had any chance to kick in. She had a half an hour waiting period before the little effects the pills would have on her took place. Until then however, she was going to have to suffer the migraine she was feeling. The pain her in head denied her the pleasure of focusing in class.

When class was over and she was walking out of the room, the books slipped from her slender fingers, her heart beat faded to a low thud, her mind seemed to go blank and her body headed for the floor.

Strong arms wrapped around her limp body. "Whoa there," he said in a bored alarmed voice, an almost impossible voice combination.

Ino seeing what had happened ran over to them, pushing away the on lookers harshly. "Move it!" she snapped shoving a brunette aside. "Shit," she swore out loud and everyone stared at her. She rolled her eyes and looked at the pineapple head that had caught her friend. "Thank you so much,"

He just nodded as he picked her up fully bridal style. He started walking out the door, his friends coming slowly behind of him forming out the entire Sharingan before Ino's eyes.

"What happened here?" Naruto asked curiously.

"She fainted," Shikamaru said as he looked at the young girls beautiful face as she lay unconscious in his arms.

"What're you going to do?"

"Obviously take her to the nurse," he replied. He cast a bored look at the blonde girl who was walking beside of him, "Shikamaru Nara," he said in a lazy voice.

Normally Ino would have squealed and be all super excited because she was walking down the halls with the best pianist to ever exist in the biggest and best band to ever exist in all of mankind but she couldn't be because of the circumstance.

Ino's head seemed to be on a higher level as she continuously glanced nervously at Sakura's unconscious and flaccid body in the boys arms. However, she still managed to blush bashfully, "I know who you are." Ino peeped. "Ino Yamanaka, it's nice to meet you," she whispered shocked at how shy she actually was.

He nodded simply as he walked ahead. As they walked down the halls there was absolute silence. No one spoke. As far as they knew the only girl to ever walk with the Sharingan's was Tami and Tami alone. Whispers sparked and then turned into a flash fire. No one could take pictures since that was against the rules but they all watched wide eyed.

Ino and Shikamaru had a small conversation as they walked but Sasuke walked at the back of the group, his hands in his pocket and a cold and emotionless mask on his face.

"Problem?" Neji asked in a calm voice.

Sasuke stiffly shook his head, "not at all," he replied mechanically.

In his pocket his hands were balled into a tight fist. How dare this rancid girl come to his school? Was this some sick, twisted joke? She was a repulsive libidinous girl, whom he had managed to hate in the span of seconds. By what means was she doing here? Flames raged on his insides as he glared discretely at her limp body in Shikamaru's arms. Her hair fell over Shikamaru's arm almost sweeping the ground and the color, that annoying, ugly color.

He took a breath and sighed almost silently and closed his eyes as he walked. He knew where he was going; he knew no one would even be in their way. He tried to calm himself, he was a man of hate, and now was not the time for it. He paused and his eyes snapped open with annoyance. He waited for it.

"Sasuke-kun where are you going?" a high pitched voice cried out from behind him.

Naruto coughed and wiped his hands over his mouth several times to hide his grin and contain his laughter. "Right Teme, just where are you going without your little love sick mongrel of a dog?" Naruto mocked as he and Shikamaru burst into laughter which earned a glare from the Uchiha.

Sasuke took a breath and turned, "I'm going down the hall Tami," he replied obviously in a dead panned voice.

She frowned then peeped behind him, "who the hell are _They?_" she demanded suspiciously. Sasuke shrugged and turned and began walking again. She walked in step with him, "More importantly, who is _she_ Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes again; he didn't have to look where her eyes went to know just which _'she' _Tami was speaking of.

"No one," he replied with disdain and that's exactly who she was going to stay, no one.

Tami wrapped her arm through his, "so why is Nara carrying her?" she asked lightly.

"It appears she fainted,"

"Fat chance, I bet she faked it. You know that they do that, I don't see why any of you even paid her any mind."

"Maybe we're human unlike you," Naruto mumbled as they neared him.

"Whiskers could you mind your own business?" Tami snapped.

"BooBoo sit," he mocked with a boisterous laugh as he continued walking.

Tami opened her mouth but Sasuke stopped her, "don't encourage it Tami," he warned.

She pouted, "Then tell him to butt out," she countered, "anyways like I was saying. I don't think she fainted. I think she's perfectly fine." She said highly.

Sasuke listened before he replied, "I believe she actually fainted," he admitted reluctantly.

She frowned. "But you can't possibly know. Are you defending her or something?" Sasuke kept quite deeming that a rhetorical question. "And who's the blonde anyways? So ugly pinky faints and Blondie has to tag along? What really is going on here Sasuke? What'd I miss?"

"I wouldn't know," he replied answering all her questions with three simple words. He was getting devastatingly annoyed with her insistent pitter patter of chatter.

"Sasuke-"

"Tami shut up and don't ask me anything," Sasuke cut of coldly.

Tami frowned and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll ask someone else then because I need to know what's going on here _when I am not _around." She said as she un-wrapped her hand from his and took a few steps ahead of him. "Hey!" she called out, "Blonde newbe!" she yelled.

Ino paused and gritted her teeth, whoever that was couldn't be talking to her.

"Yeah I'm talking to you," Tami said in a bitchy voice as she started walking closer.

"Beware," Nara said in a bored yet amused voice, "she has claws,"

"Oh yeah?" Ino asked with a grin. Tami tapped her on the shoulder and Ino turned, "WhatPumpernickel?" Ino demanded in a sweet voice. She looked at Nara. "I have claws _and_ fangs."

Shikamaru chuckled.

Tami was taken aback but then smiled venomously, "I would like to know why you're walking with these men and what your little friend is up to."

"And I'm not really obliged to tell you what you want to know. What's it to you?" Ino demanded.

"Oh don't get smart new girl," Tami sizzled.

"I'd advise you to go back to wherever you came from; this is none of your business."

"This is my base bitch," Tami almost barked.

Ino laughed. "Alright well I'm in it now. You're just going to have to deal, excuse me I have something more important to deal with." Ino peeped over at Sakura's face and her confidence faded away along with the color in her face. "Her hands…her hands are turning blue." She panicked her eyes wide.

Shikamaru glanced down and sure enough, Sakura's slender fingers were tuning a darker shade of blue by the second. _Shit,_ he swore as he took in the situation. Without even glancing at Ino he took off in a run to the nurse. He was moving faster than he should have been but it hit him hard that blood had stopped circulating around her small body fast enough.

He burst through the infirmary and the middle aged woman inside who was sitting at her desk near the entrance jumped in fright. It took her a second before she noticed the young man putting the small girl onto the bed. The infirmary wasn't big but it wasn't small either. There were about four beds separated by white sheets.

"What's happening here?" she asked as she rose and hurried over to them.

"Her hands are turning blue," Shikamaru replied.

"Oh dear!" the woman exclaimed as she ran to her desk and pulled out a draw. She took out a small black bottle and quickly went back to them. Shikamaru easily stepped aside giving the woman space. She opened the black bottle and hovered it under Sakura's nose. She moved it from side to side as she slipped a hand under the girl. "Help me get her in a sitting position," she said.

With speed Nara was holding Sakura's shoulders as she woman wafted the scent in the bottle into her nose. Shikamaru could smell the thing in the bottle and it was repulsive and unkind to his nose. The scent of it was strong as well, very strong.

There was a soft sound from the girl and her head swayed. "Put her down, put her down," the nurse said and he did so gently.

It took a while before Sakura's eyes fluttered open and instantly closed at the bright white light from the ceiling that greeted her. She tried to move her hands so she could shield her eyes but they refused to move; they were limp. Opening her eyes and adjusting to the light she turned her head to the side and was greeted by a pale blue hand. She cast a puzzled look at both the male and female in the vicinity.

"Dear you gave me a scare a second there, here continue sniffing this," she cooed as she placed the bottle under Sakura's nose.

Her small nose wrinkled by the foul smell and she instantly turned her head away. She couldn't inhale that strong horrible smelling thing while she was conscious. Just smelling it made her want to vomit what she didn't have in her stomach. She cleared her throat and looked at the nurse innocently. "What happened?" she croaked, her voice hoarse.

"You don't remember?" the woman asked. "Oh well I don't think you would, now come dear, smell it." she instructed. Sakura tried to turn her head to the side but the woman held her chin firm and instructed her to breathe and deal with the horrible scent. "Nara, is it?" she asked directed to the pineapple head.

"Yes ma'am," he replied sleepily.

"Tell her what happened," the woman smiled.

He scratched the back of his head lazily. He felt so tired, too tired to even talk but he did however, do as he was told. "I was walking out of the class room directly behind her; the books she was carrying in her hand fell to the floor. Then she was headed there. I caught her and was headed here. I stopped in the hall for a moment due to the person I was walking with and we noticed that her hands were turning blue. I ran here and I'm sure you're aware of the rest." He said to her.

The woman looked at the pink haired girl who had her face all creased with disgust and laughed. The little girl looked exceptionally cute when she did that. "Oh come, it can't be that bad," she said.

"Have you smelled that thing up close?" Sakura rasped as the woman drew it away and closed the cap over it.

The woman chuckled, "in here, I get used to it." she replied. Her voice was sweet and melodious too even though she could hardly talk. "I need to get you a glass of water before I talk to you. Things should get back to normal since you're conscious. Nara, be a dear and help her to sit up so her hands can fall to side and flush back some color a bit faster for me."

Shikamaru nodded and with ease he helped her up into a sitting position. He sat down on the bed at the edge and rested his elbows on his knees, his finger intertwined in the middle. He looked without interest at the plain cream wall.

The silence went on for a few seconds before she spoke with real sincerity in her voice, "thank you very much…Nara," she stuttered.

He smirked, and turned his head to the side to look at her, "Call me Shikamaru and you're welcome. No problem,"

"I mean really, it is big. Thank you." She said then added bashfully, "I wasn't too heavy was I? I'm sorry if I was, I mean you did carry me all the way, I know it must have been inconvenient to have to-"

He raised a hand up to signal her to stop and she trailed off, "I recall saying it was fine. You weren't heavy the least. It's not a problem," he assured her with a nod.

She smiled and nodded, "okay," she said as her cheeks turned bright pink.

He made a sniffing sound to chase away the chuckle that dared to erupt from him. When was the last time he walked these halls and met a girl that was sincerely as innocent as the one that sat beside him? It was almost too entertaining to watch her, her hesitant smile and the way her face seemed flushed like she was just out in the cold.

"Very odd dye you have chosen for your hair," he mused almost stunned when he first saw the shocking bubble gum pink hair. What in the world had she been thinking when she did that? To his evaluation with her current personality, it didn't seem to match to her doing such a daring act. But what did he know?

She hesitated before she made a small smile, "everyone thinks it's dye. It isn't, this is my actual hair color." She replied. "I don't know how it came out this way though," she mused.

"What are the hair colors of your parents?" he asked.

"My mother's hair is…" she gulped, took a breath before she continued.

That was long enough for Shikamaru to guess that either her mother and her were on bad grounds or there was a divorce between her parents or something else happened. She after all did use to word 'is' which meant that her mother was clearly alive. What, why was he evaluating the girl so closely?

"It's um black and my father's hair is white." She finished.

"Were there any odd colors on either of your parents side?" he asked not sure why he wanted to know.

She looked to the ceiling in thought for a moment before she replied, "my grandmothers hair was originally red if I remember right. She dyed it when I was pretty young, but I am sure it was red once." She said uncertain if she should be telling a stranger this, even if he did really save her life. Ino should be the one talking to him not her, from what she recalled this morning he was the member of a really important band…band Sharing-what's it name.

"Well that explains it. You're grandmother's genes traveled to you through your mother, considering the white hair of your father then well, it seems…logical I suppose." He mused.

"Logical," she repeated almost in a dazed voice, "you are the first person in my entire life to ever say that about my hair." she noted.

The woman walked back looking flushed, "sorry about that, I was speaking to a teacher when I went to get the cold water. How does your hand feel?" she asked.

Sakura twitched her fingers before she moved her entire hands. It felt almost alien to her but after shaking them a few times it began to feel better. She looked at the nurse and gave a big grin, "they feel like my hands again," she replied.

"Alright, well here, be careful, you might drop it," she warned as she handed the cup of water to her. Sakura carefully took it and within a matter of seconds the cup had been robbed of every drop of water. "Obviously you were thirsty." She noted with a warm smile. "Nara, would you mind staying here with us and accompanying Sakura back her upcoming class?" she asked.

The young man sighed; this was becoming more troublesome than he had originally thought. He had not planned to even stay as long as he had already but seeing the shaking girl he couldn't just deny the simple request. "That won't be a problem," he replied.

The woman smiled brightly, "alright, I'm Roxanne Summers,"

"Sakura Haruno," she replied courtly.

"Well Sakura, could you tell me what happened from your point of view? Were you feeling anyway before? Did you take something? What do you remember?" she asked kindly.

"I have-" she broke of instantly and bit her lip. No, she was not about to tell the woman or anyone for that matter that was here in this school. "I ugh…I have severe migraine problems, I was in math class and I took some pain killers but I was feeling light headed from the migraine started," she said.

Roxanne nodded, "I don't know if I should send you home or if I should let you go back to class. You seem much better, you skin is getting back to its normal color and your eyes don't appear as dull. Do you wish to go back to your classes?" she asked.

Sakura nodded eagerly, "I would really like that," she admitted looking at her lap.

She clapped her hands in finality, "alright then, let me give you a late slip,"

"That won't be necessary Miss Summers," Shikamaru said, "that's alright."

She smiled, "well then, you best be on your way then," she said with a simple wave of her hands.

_**There you all go! Hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to leave a review! **_

_**Much love,**_

_**D.V**_


	8. Chapter 8

_Here we are again! Read, Review and enjoy! _

_**PS: **I know that the relationship Sasuke and Sakura is taking a while to come out but I just want you guys to know that we're getting there, you don't have much waiting left. I just don't want to take this story too fast if you know what I mean? _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Eight} **

Shikamaru sighed and rose. He wiped his hands down his straight black jeans before he turned to Sakura and out stretched a hand. She took it hesitantly and when she rose he wrapped an arm around her waist supporting most of her weight.

She opened her mouth to protest but she then closed it deeming it a good idea to let him help her because she did feel a little drained. What a wonderful first day at school, how lovely and nice. Just what she was looking for and just what she needed. She didn't even know what happened. One minute she was fine then a next minute she just wasn't. It felt like something just pushed the off button on her mind.

She wrapped her arms around him, one going around the back and the other around the front. "You-you don't mind do you?" she stuttered.

"No it's fine, I am here to help you after all." he replied in a bored tone. She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked down the deserted halls. "What class do you have now?" he asked her.

Her brows furred as she thought and tried to remember her time table. "I think it's Chemistry," she said not quite sue.

"hn," he grunted and she held up her head.

"Am I weighing you down?" she asked self-consciously.

"No, not at all," he assured her.

She nodded and went back to resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. With the halls being empty there was silence besides the slow patting of their footsteps and their steady breathing. The silence was awkward for Sakura but Shikamaru didn't seem to mind it too much. He was used to the silence, he could stand it, he liked it but he could sense her unease and her tension. She was uncomfortable but he wasn't a man of much effort and so there was nothing he could do.

As they walked he pondered if anyone of them maybe Ino, went back to get her things from the math class seeing as she didn't end up at the nurse. More likely than not, a bratty jealous hall monitor told her she had to go to her class or else some detention. However, taking keen interest in her personality, he saw that was less likely for she seemed as feisty and as her own person just like Tami but in the form and personality by which he was not annoyed. Apparently she was just sure of who she was and didn't prey on the ego of others like Tami who seemed to be so insecure with herself she had to make others feel bad in order to satisfy her insecure-ness.

"You know," Sakura began a little shyly, "I hope you don't think that this was…my intention or anything. I really am sorry," she said.

He looked at her with a cocked eyebrow, was she serious? "Why would I possibly think that?" he asked, intrigued by the pink haired, weak beauty.

She looked down. "What I mean is that, being famous…you are famous right?" she asked a little ashamed that she wasn't even sure.

"You don't know me?"

"No," she said lamely, "I'm not really a hip person in the no-a-days music," she admitted.

He couldn't help but chuckle, who used the word 'hip' anymore? "Yes I am famous,"

"Right," she agreed, "so I am sure that a lot of people faint in your presence and some pretend to and I really don't want you to think that I did this intentionally. I really don't want you to think that."

He sighed. "The notion never crossed my lazy mind," he replied, "you can stop apologizing now." he said.

They walked the rest of the way in silence and with his free hand he opened the door to the Chemistry lab and walked inside with her. Silence took over and everyone stared at them, most gawked, some glowered, some watched in shock and others raged with anger.

Shikamaru nodded to the teacher who had his arms folded and a bemused expression on his face. "She was at the nurse," Shikamaru said not seeing any reason to tell the man why.

The man however wasn't thinking like Shikamaru was. "What happened to her?" he inquired.

"I don't particularly think that concerns you." Shikamaru said lazily. "She needs to sit."

The teacher's eyes scanned to room and a hand went up almost instantly.

"She can sit right here!" the voice cried out almost desperately. Sakura's eyes landed on the one, the only, Ino Yamanaka.

The teacher nodded and Shikamaru helped her to her seat. When she sat down she looked up at him with so much sincerity he thought she was about to burst into tears. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you very much,"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, anytime." He said with a smirk. He nodded to Ino whose face turned beat red and walked out of the class room.

Class took about a few minutes to get back to the same aura as it was before. That's when Ino looked at Sakura and spoke. "I fret the whole time, I went back to math class and got your things and by the time I was walking back some teacher told me to get my butt to class. I tried to protest but the old hag wouldn't listen to me and I had to come back. How are you feeling? Do you get to go home? Do you want to contact Tsunade or something? What happened? What did the nurse do? Was she nice or mean to you? Are you in pain?" she said resuming the cease between her brows that always appeared when she started to fret.

"I'm fine." Sakura said with a smile. "Don't worry, the nurse resurrected me and Shikamaru helped me all the way over here. He's such a nice person."

Ino squealed which earned some glares for her to be quiet and some stares wondering what had gotten into her. "Tell me all about it! Tell me what you guys talked about? How heroic of him to whisk you to the nurse in his arms and back. When you were coming here did you feel his abs? Did his muscles flex? I think I'm getting a bit faint." She said fanning her pink face with her hand. She was in dire need of some cool air, the thought of him made her far too hot and claustrophobic.

Sakura laughed and shook her head, "it was nothing," she replied simply.

"What do you mean nothing? I was actually talking to him when he was bringing you to the nurse but I mean, he took off when we noticed your skin color was changing, not that I wrong him or anything, but I mean, I hardly got to talk to him but this class is almost over, you spent a long time down there, you guys must have talked about something! Anything! It doesn't even matter what it was. Are you guys like friends now?" she said in a rush as she heaved in air after haven spoken so many things without pausing.

Sakura looked at her and blinked like an idiot. She believed she only got half of what Ino just said. "Um, when the class is over I'll tell you everything but it wasn't anything that interesting." She replied with a small smile. "He is very attractive though," she blushed.

"Ugh! You're telling me! I have no idea why I was so flaky around him but I mean he's FAMOUS!"

"Shh!" the class hissed and made annoying comments.

Ino rolled her eyes and looked back at Sakura. "they are like…the hottest guys on the entire freaking planet and so far we actually know one of them, isn't this exciting?" she gushed.

Sakura looked around. "Yeah," she said very slowly and almost sarcastically.

Ino was, more into these things than she was. Sakura personally didn't see anything so awesome in meeting one person who actually didn't hate her guts so far but then again they were famous and Ino was a glamour girl.

The bell rang and instantly people shuffled out of the class. Sakura gathered her things and walked slowly out with Ino. "So start talking," Ino said

Sakura sighed, "Can I go to the bathroom first?" she asked with a grin. "Or is that too much to ask Lady Ino?"

"Fine," she pouted, "go, I'll find us a seat in the cafeteria after I put my things in my locker. Hurry up." she said as she trotted off down the hall.

Sakura took the other root and went into her messenger bag and fished out the map. She leaned on a locker and looked at it wide eyed. There were so many roots to the one bathroom she had no idea which way to go. Her coordination was the worst; her sense of direction was also horrible. She gazed at it for a long time then returned it back to where she had taken it.

She walked down the halls, people hit against her shoulder, bumped into her as she walked without a care. Whispers flew all around her like breeze too. News traveled fast. She kept her gazed to the floor because she could feel eyes boring into her as she walked. She knew it was her hair and the more she thought about it, it was more likely than not that news about the incident earlier with Shikamaru carrying her had touched every ear in the school.

She found the bathroom to her relief and took her time using it. While at the sink she pulled out the map again. She was relying on the piece of paper too much but the school was so big, she was just so small in comparison it would take only one wrong turn and she'd just be a goner.

She looked in the mirror at herself. She had wondered why a school as prestigious as this one didn't have a uniform. They were all allowed to wear their own clothes. Ino had told her that a few years back, parents had protested against the uniforms and the lack of individuality at the school and so they had gotten rid of them. Ino had also said that most of the rich kids here would have just died if they weren't allowed to wear all their named brand clothes.

After spending way too much time staring at the damned map she put it back in her bag and walked out of the bathroom. She looked around her carefully making sure she was going the right way. As she went down more and more into the hall the noise level seemed to get lower and lower until there was no talking at all. Taking the corner Sakura wondered why everyone was silent. She looked down the hall to see a girl with her brown hair done in two buns walking down the halls. Her hand balled into a light fist.

"Whore!" someone yelled out with a cough and that seemed like a signal because that's when the noise started again.

The brown haired girl glared at the person who made the first comment. The girl sneered, "What you want to fuck my boyfriend now too? Don't worry, he already told me he got it from you." She sneered brewing with jealousy. "Don't feel all high and mighty anymore do you? He stopped bragging, maybe you suddenly got slack!" she barked.

The brown haired girl pressed her lips together took a breath and continued walking.

"You don't say." Was her only sarcastically broken response.

People starting throwing bad, mean and horrible comments at her; they yelled that she was a slut, a whore, a bitch and a prostitute. They glared at her and looked at her with disdain; they looked at her like she was disgusting; a disease. She walked with her head high though and she looked straight ahead.

Sakura felt tears build in her eyes as her heart went out to the poor girl. Why were they being so mean to her? They had no right to be treating her like that, calling her all those things and hurting her feelings. Did they have any idea how their harsh words were hurting her? Sakura was used to people being mean to her like that at her old school, she knew what it felt like. She stood there almost as if she was cemented into the floor. She watched as the girl walked down the halls and out the door.

Sakura blinked and ran down the hall. She pushed open the door and saw her going into the cafeteria. She knew it wasn't any of her business but she couldn't put pass what had just happened. She wanted to do something, she felt somehow like if she didn't try and do something, she was almost like the others. She took the steps two at a time and ran across the short open space and burst into the cafeteria. The girl was just sitting down at an empty table way at the back.

Sakura didn't feel hungry but still she went into the line and took some food on her trey. She walked, passing tables, ignoring the stares and paused. The girl had just moved further down to the back.

"Sakura over here!" Ino yelled.

Sakura's head snapped around and she smiled as she noticed that Ino was sitting with a groupie of boys, Shikamaru one of them. She was actually sitting right beside him. She looked at each face and shivered when she was met by a glare from the same boy in her math glass. Fear attached itself to her and she gripped the tray she was holding. Her mind swooned just looking at him. No way she was going over there where she wasn't wanted.

She shook her head slowly at Ino and started walking again. She was on a mission and it was going to be completed she hoped.

She continued walking, passing tables and heading to her destination. She stopped in front of the table and placed down her tray. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked softly.

The girl didn't even look up. "what'd you want? To come and call me a whore to my face? Save it." she said in a firm, hard and flat voice. "I have nothing to tell you so you can go back to your fucking groups and tell them. Leave," she said.

Sakura was taken aback. She bit her bottom lip then opened her mouth, "that's not-"

"What?" she cut of harshly. "Why are you still here? Didn't I say I don't want your plastic self here? Leave, I don't want you here." she said again still looking at her tray of food.

She nodded and smiled. "I just thought you needed a friend." she whispered as she took up her tray and turned.

That's when the brown haired girl looked up, actually stunned from the softness and sincerity of the girl's voice but Sakura didn't see. She was already walking away and without looking at Ino who was calling her she threw her food into the garbage bin and walked out of the cafeteria.

She hardened her face but the tear escaped her emerald eyes anyway. That certainly didn't go as her winsome heart was expecting. The cafeteria was another building all by itself and the space from the cafeteria to the doors to enter back into the school was made of grass and tables were placed about the place with seats for those who didn't wish to eat in the cafeteria. Kid usually sat there when the weather was good, the sun was bright and the wind was sweet.

Sakura crossed the space, trotted up the steps and began walking down the hall. Her heart was beating really fast and her head swooned for a moment. She paused to steady herself. Maybe walking so fast to and fro wasn't the smartest of ideas considering. Her headaches were less but that still didn't say. With the back of her hand she wiped away the tear from her cheek.

Why was she even crying? Was that anything to cry about? How stupid was she? So she wanted to help her but she didn't need any help. She was sticking her nose where it didn't belong she realized. She had that coming. Of course the girl wouldn't like her, regardless of her motives. No one really ever liked her. Maybe she should have thought that far ahead before just acting on impulse. Was it possible to be too humane? Too in tune with people's feelings? Too sympathetic?

As she was walking away she didn't know where she was going to go but she decided now that she was going to go to her locker and put all her books inside and get rid of all the other stuff in her bag that she didn't need to carry around.

"Hey," a voice called but Sakura kept walking because nobody could be talking to her. Why would anyone even want to call to her?

A hand grabbed her forearm and spun her around, her pink hair whipped around actually hitting the person who had grabbed her in the face. "Hey look, I'm sorry about how I acted a while ago," the girl said.

Sakura looked at the bun head girl, shook her head and smiled. "No it's fine," she lied.

"I was a real bitch, I'm sorry," she said as she let go of Sakura's arm. "I just thought you were one of them."

"After how they acted towards you in the hall I understand you'd be that way." she assured softly. "I didn't mean to just…I just thought maybe you could use somebody, some company maybe." Sakura said looking at the ground timidly.

"If you knew what they knew you'd act the same way towards me," She said.

Sakura shook her head. "I doubt that," she said.

"Yeah," she said. "You say that because you don't know. If it's okay with you, you're welcomed to come and sit with me, I won't be so mean this time, I promise." she said in a friendly voice.

Sakura looked into the girls pretty almond eyes and smiled. "I'd love to," she said, "I'm Sakura Haruno,"

"Tenten Hiuri" (pronounced just in case you might get it wrong Hi-You-Ri) she said. They walked back into the cafeteria and went back to where Tenten was originally sitting. People looked at her with disgusting and scandalous eyes.

Tenten sat down in front of the trey she had obviously left and Sakura sat across from her. Sakura looked at her hands on the table, not quite knowing what to say.

"So I'm guessing you're new," Tenten spoke out.

"How'd you know?"

"The hair." she replied with a small smile. "And I'm also guessing you want to know what the hall thing was about,"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want me to know." Sakura rushed out. "I don't think anyone should be treated like that and even though you just met me and all I want you to know that I would never ever treat anyone like that, not even you and it doesn't matter what happened or what you did. I'm sorry," she rushed.

Tenten smiled. "It's totally cool, it happens all the time,"

"Everyday people treat you like that?" Sakura asked her eyes growing wide.

"Since about the dawn of my school time." Tenten said nonchalantly. "After a while you get used to it but then sometimes it really hurts. Being that I don't care what they think anymore, it's not like I am someone," she said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I had sex with the football team in 9th grade. All of them, all at once, but I wasn't a virgin then, I was having sex since I was like eleven." she said blankly getting all the dirt out in the open from now. Sakura's eyes opened wide and if she had anything eating she would have choked. "Yeah, be disgusted, you're free to walk away now if you want." She said with a shrug. If this girl wanted to talk to her it was best she got all the ugly crap out of the way, after all, most of her life was already known by everyone here.

"What happened to make you do that?" Sakura asked quietly.

"What do you mean what happened? I wanted to,"

"No, that's not what I meant. You don't have to answer me because it's none of my business and if you don't want to tell me just say so, really I won't mind and maybe you don't want my lousy view anyways but is it okay if I give it still?"

"Don't call me a whore, if you want to; go say it to the next table that's waiting for you to convert against me. I'm telling you this because if you're going to talk to me, they are going to tell you all sorts of things and I don't care who knows my business and I'm not ashamed to say it to anybody. If you want to talk to me I intend to get all the crap to you straight and forward. If you don't want to talk to me afterwards, I don't really care just get up and leave."

"I'm not going to call you any of those bad things, I don't think you're any of those things but I don't want to say anything and you don't want to hear it."

"Say whatever you want to," Tenten shrugged.

"The reason why I asked why you did that was because if you were okay with your life and nothing bad was happening and it was okay I don't think you would have done that. Maybe something happened into your life, maybe you were having some problems then and even if you say that wasn't the case it makes no difference to me. I don't judge," she replied, "maybe you told me that a while expecting me to leave but I won't leave unless you tell me to."

Tenten sighed and leaned back almost sinking into the seat; she looked at Sakura for a long while deciding whether or not she should believe the words that just came out of her mouth. She chose to, deeming that she had nothing to lose. "No one ever really asked me that before," she stated.

"Asked you what? What happened in your life-?"

"Yea that." Tenten cut her off. "People just used that I am a whore and slut and that's the only reason why. You're the first person to actually ask me _that_ question. My life is not the prettiest thing, my dad's a drunk and my mother ran away leaving me and my father when I was ten to run off with this Italian shoe maker. My father being a drunk I am sure you can put together two and two. Living with him my life wasn't worth much. my father claimed that I was nothing, that's why mom left, she couldn't lie to me, and she couldn't pretend that she was happy with a girl when she wanted a boy so bad. A month before the end of 9th grade I decided why not. Had sex with the senior football team, they saw nothing wrong with it.

"I've had sex with a wide range of the male population here. I'm sure out of every twenty guys you pick, I'll have had sex with at least one." she stated. Sakura listened intently. "I partied hard, snuck out and got drank. I did drugs every now and then and I had sex just about anywhere with just about anyone. I didn't care who knew who I had sex with, I didn't care who saw, I didn't care who noticed that I gave the boy next door a blow job on his front lawn in mid day. Sometimes with someone way older than me, someone who was already taken, someone who was only god knows what. I just never cared; I never felt like it mattered what I did. Guys wanted me and if they wanted me then it meant I was obviously something somewhere along the lines. I never thought myself important in any way and so well I just didn't give a shit. I didn't see myself as anything of worth." She said.

She watched Sakura closely before she continued. "I got pregnant in grade ten. I have a boy named Nadaka, I don't know who the father is. I got pregnant in October and I had Nadaka in May. I spent the rest of my time at home with him and went on a diet and exercised like a fucking crazy bitch. I didn't want to start 11th grade with the baby weight. As you can well tell I guess, I've lost it. My dad, he still drinks but since I had the baby, he's been…trying. He's helping in more ways than I could ask. And there you have it. My lovely life story." she said finally and took a long sip of her diet coke. "You can leave now if you want to."

Sasuke blinked. That was a whole load of information to be telling a stranger, wasn't it? This girl wasn't messing around when she said she was getting all of the dirt out in the air. She wasn't playing when she said she wanted this girl to know the background of who she was talking to.

"Could I meet him?" she asked.

"My son?" Tenten asked incredulously. She couldn't believe that after that story Sakura still wanted to talk to her.

Sakura nodded her head. "Yeah." she said smile. "I know you just met me but I promise I'm good with kids and I swear to you I'm not crazy. I won't run away with him or anything. He must be the happiest baby in the world to have you as his mother and he will be so proud of you." She smiled.

Tenten blinked. "I don't know about that," she replied.

"You cleaned up your life didn't you?" Sakura asked. "After how it was before and you cleaned it up for him, I'm sure when he gets older he will be proud of you. I am," Sakura smiled her eyes shining. "Aren't you proud of yourself?"

"I have no reason to be," she replied, "why would I be? I gave my body like it was a rag, like dirt, you could get me everywhere. That's not something you'd be proud of,"

"Do you love your son?" she asked.

Tenten flashed her pearly white teeth, "He's the apple of my eye,"

"When was the last time you had sex?"

"November, grade 10," she replied.

Sakura smiled. "It seems to me like you've abstaining for some time now. Be proud, you can't be found everywhere. Don't beat yourself up because of who you used to be, it doesn't matter now, you're not that person anymore, you're completely different now or well at least your habits have changed. I think that's something to be proud of," she stated.

Tenten shrugged. "I guess," she looked at Sakura and smiled, "you're not what I expected; you're sweet, cool even."

Sakura smiled. "I hope you don't mind, so is it safe to say we're friends?" she asked hopefully.

Tenten smiled, "yeah, I could use someone like that,"

"I thought so." Sakura smiled brightly. The bell rang just then and they both rose. Sakura waved at Ino who seemed to have turned pink from her fuming. "I'll be right back okay?"

Tenten nodded. Sakura walked over to Ino who grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Never do that again! Do you know what I thought when you stormed out of the cafeteria? I thought she'd completely been a bitch to you!"

Sakura smiled, "it was nothing like that she's s friend."

"You should have told me, I thought she all but forced you back in here, I was about to come over and give a few of my thoughts when you smiled."

"It's fine, I am fine, she's a friend." Sakura said.

Ino nodded and cooled. "Okay, you're walking with her to class considering you ditched me?" Sakura blushed and Ino laughed. "kidding! Go, I got someone to walk me to class anyways." she smiled and tilted her head in the direction of Shikamaru who was waiting on her.

Sakura grinned, how did Ino do it? How did she just get people to fall to her knees like that? Sakura waved and he smirked with a nod. "You'll meet me after school?" she asked still, almost afraid that with her meeting this boy fully now she would totally forget.

Ino bobbed her head. "Totally," she said as she smiled and went over to the guy waiting on her.

Sakura went back over to Tenten who looked at her curiously, "you know him?" she asked.

"He brought me to the nurse this morning, but I guess," she replied.

"Wish I were you," she said, "I would do anything to get Neji to notice me," she replied as they walked out of the cafeteria.

_**And there we have it! Come on you guys, I know you read it, I know you favorite it and I know you alert it but why don't you review on it? Reviews mean so much to me, the encouraging and helpful ones. Your thoughts on the characters and how they make you feel. Do you like them? Do you hate them? Are some of them just too tough in attitude? Are some of them too soft? Let a home girl know. ' Cause you know, you have to hate some of the characters because I sure as hell do. **_

_**Much love and Peace,**_

_**D.V**_


	9. Chapter 9

_Here we are again! Read, Review and enjoy! _

_**PS: **I hope you guys aren't getting bored with this story and if you are, just stick it out a few more chapters and I'm sure you'll find it more interesting. I know there's not enough Sakura+Sasuke going on right now but it increases as we get along, trust me on that. ^_^ _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Nine}**

Sakura looked around the front of the school with confusion. Where was Ino? She was supposed to be here, it couldn't have taken that long to get to the bathroom and come back. Her eyes scanned the place and finally Ino came into view, her face pink with anger as she talked on the phone. She gazed at Sakura for a moment before snapping at the person on the line.

"Mom! I already told you I had plans today….Then ask dad!" she fumed. "FINE!" Ino snapped and shut the phone and put it back into her bag. She gave Sakura an apologetically smile. "Look I'm so sorry but my mom wants me to come home right now. I can't take you to the hospital. I've been trying to convince her to let me take you but she says that I need to get home right now." She said sadly.

Sakura took a deep breath, nodded and smiled. "No, it's fine, you go."

"But how are you going to get there? You need a ride and you really shouldn't take a taxi by yourself." She said rubbing her forehead in fret.

Sakura shook her head and kept her smile on. "Don't worry about me, it's fine. Go to your mother I really don't want her to be angry at you."

"But you have to get there!" Ino insisted. "I could swing around there before I go home but how are you going to get back? I don't want you to take a taxi, we just moved only god knows what a taxi man would do."

"Ino," Sakura said softly, "Go I promise I'll be fine."

Ino looked at her with evident doubt. "Sakura I love you, you know and I worry a lot when you're by yourself. I don't want you to go alone." Her forehead creased. "Maybe mom won't be so mad if I just go with you after all I did promise you I'd take you and I don't want to break it."

"Go," Sakura whispered with a smile.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Sakura said. She could always find some other way to the hospital she didn't Ino to get into trouble because of her.

Ino bit her lip and looked around. "Hey you!" she cried out dashing over to the same girl she had seen Sakura talking to at lunch. It was Tenten. Ino paused in front of her. "Could you do me a favor?" she asked.

Tenten gazed at her blankly. "What?"

"Could you take Sakura to the hospital and then take her home? I swear I would do it but I just can't, I just moved and some family stuff just came up. I need her to get there safely. Please?" Ino begged clear desperation in her eyes.

Tenten looked around Ino's shoulder at Sakura and nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you!" she squealed giving Tenten a super hug. "I owe you big time, you have no idea how much this means to me!" she said. She looked over at Sakura. "Call me!" she called with a smile before dashing to the school parking lot. Her mother was going to have her head if she didn't make it home soon.

Tenten grinned and walked over to Sakura. "I guess I'm taking you to the hospital," she said.

Sakura blushed and looked down. "R-really you don't have to. I'm sure you have other things you need to do."

"It's no problem. Nadaka is at the daycare and it isn't out for another half an hour. I could always ask my dad to pick him up if anything." She reasoned. "Come on." She said as they both headed to the parking lot.

"I didn't know you had a car." Sakura noted softly. Her voice was always so low Tenten couldn't understand why. She spoke like she was dreadfully afraid of something.

"I got it a few days before I started back school. With Nadaka, school, work and my choirs I needed an easier way to get around other than the bus. It's a simply Nissan but it gets the job done." She said as they came up to the car.

Sakura got in and buckled her seat belt. She watched as Tenten carefully backed out of the school parking lot and headed down the high way.

She glanced at Sakura. "I know it's not my business or anything but why do you need to go to the hospital?" she asked glancing at Sakura again before looking ahead of her.

Sakura hesitated. She didn't want anyone here to know about her. "Just…a check up." she lied looking out the window. She was a horrible liar she could hardly do it.

Tenten grunted. "Oh well then. When Nadaka was born," she said looking ahead. "He wasn't breathing. His lungs weren't fully developed and I didn't get to see him until a three days later." She said.

"I'm so sorry. Does he still have problems now?"

"Well he has asthma but it could be worse." She said as they stopped at a stop light. She glanced at Sakura again almost hesitantly. "What's your life story?" she asked.

Sakura looked at her. "What?"

"You know, what brings you here?" she noticed the second the pink haired girl looked at her hands in her lap. "Let me guess, your father's business company happens to be moving here."

"I don't live with my father anymore." Sakura whispered still looking at her hands.

Tenten wanted to slap herself in the face. What she had just said to her was uncalled for. "I'm sorry; I never meant it like that."

"It's okay," Sakura assured her looking up at her and smiling before casting her eyes down, "he's not dead or anything."

Her mouth only opened in an O.

"I moved here because…" she paused debating what to say and what not to say about why she really moved. She moved for many reasons; to get better more up to date medication and treatment, to start over and leave everything bad that's happened to her before. She took a deep breath. "I moved here because I didn't want to stay in my home town anymore. I was running away from some…problems there. It's a little bit complicated." she said her voice low.

Tenten nodded. "Yeah I sort of figured it would be." She stated zooming past buildings and cars, food joints and houses.

The rest of the ride was in silence and Sakura mulled over everything that happened today. It wasn't the first day of school she had wanted but she still thanked the good Kami that she was awake today and that she made it through her first day of school. She met a friend or maybe two if she wanted to maybe call Shikamaru one of her friends and that made her happy. She looked at the pretty sky, it was a beautiful day like it always was most of the time.

She admired the scene. Konoha reminded her of Tokyo only with less lights and a little more nature with a little less buildings and a little more land space. Just the feel, the energy of the town reminded her of Tokyo. Mind you she's never been there but she'd seen it on television countless times and she'd had so many dreams of going there one day. There were so many things to experience in Tokyo but so many, many more things to experience here. Today was an adventure for her on new territory.

Every day was a new adventure for her really, to wake up and see the beautiful world around her and the goodness of nature surrounding her. Every day was something new, never bringing the same results as yesterday but something different. She smiled.

Tenten drove into the hospital parking lot and shut off the car. "Do you want me to come in with you?" she asked. "I mean you're new and everything and I know you don't really know the people here." she stated.

Sakura smiled. "I think I'll be okay but you can come if you want." She said sweetly. "You can meet my doctor too."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're…doctor?" she asked almost dubiously.

"She moved here too, not because of me of course. She's head of the hospital here or I'm sure it's something along the lines of that." she smiled.

She could tell that Tenten didn't believe a word Sakura had just said and Sakura didn't blame her. Why would a girl like her have a private doctor that moved here with her? She saw the long shot in it but she didn't mind. Nobody really believed her much let alone understood her. If they understood her then they would find it easy to see the truth when she spoke. She unbuckled her seat belt and came out of the car bringing her messenger bag with her. Tenten came out as well and slammed the door.

"So who's your doctor?" Tenten asked as they walked around to the entrance.

"If I told you, you'd never believe me." she said. Tenten had to open her ears wide to hear half of what Sakura just said. "You'll meet her."

"So check up huh?" she asked. "You know I don't believe that right?"

Sakura laughed melodiously and nervously at the same time. "It's a _special _check up." she admitted. "I'm not really supposed to talk about it." she said.

Tenten nodded. "Okay cool, I'll respect that." she said as they stepped into the hospital.

The air conditioner greeted them as well as clear white light, white tiles and green plants plotted about the long hall way that stretched out before them. They stepped in and walked down the hall way for a minute then went to the front desk that was to their right which had a long hall extended down. Sakura waited as the lady there was on the phone.

She was chubby and in a pink nurses outfit. She had blonde hair with brown streaks and it was caught in a neat bun. Her face was round and her cheeks were puffy and pink. Her skin couldn't handle the air conditioner very well it was obvious. She had a nice pleasant voice as she spoke to the person on the phone. She looked up and smiled at Sakura then her eyes widened at the shocking hair color that was exaggerated because of the white background. She spoke fluently then hung up the phone.

"Welcome to Konohagakure Hospital how may I help you young ladies?" she asked nicely gazing at Sakura.

Sakura blushed and looked down at the granite counter. "I'm Sakura Haruno. I have a check up with Tsunade." She said timidly.

"What was that?" the woman asked leaning closer. "I'm sorry sweetie but I just couldn't hear you awhile ago. Could you repeat that?"

"I'm Sakura Haruno I'm a special patient of Tsunade." She said a little louder.

The nurse looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Personal patient?" she asked. "Are you sure? Tsunade-sama only has one personal patient since she came here and no else is to be added to the list unless it's an emergency." She said flipping through a clip board. She looked up at the pink haired girl. "Was your name to be on the list?" she asked again.

Sakura looked down. "Are you sure my name is not there?" she asked meekly.

"Well as far as my eyes can tell your name isn't there." she noted

"I think you should just see a regular doctor like everyone else here." Tenten said beside her. "I'm just saying instead of giving the lady-" she looked at the lady's name tag. "Molly any trouble."

Sakura peeped up at Tenten with desperation in her big eyes. "Are you sure?" Sakura asked the lady. "My name is supposed to be the only one there." she insisted.

Molly looked at the girl with soft eyes. "I'm sorry it's not there."

"Could you call her for me please?" Sakura asked kindly gripping the marble counter top before her body hit the floor. A gush of weakness just took her, her feet wobbled. The weight in her chest increased. She'd been standing too long and she still hadn't eaten all day, she was starting to feel light headed. She's been three days without any medication at all. Something needed to be done.

"I'm sorry," Molly said kindly, "but I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm only allowed to call her during emergencies and this isn't an emergency. She's brand new and is already head of the hospital. She's very busy. How about I give you an appointment?"

Sakura shook her head, her locks waving behind her. "Please check again."

"Come on." Tenten said looking at Sakura. "Maybe it's a mishap but we can come back again, that is, if you're certain you belong on that list." Tenten said.

Molly sighed. "Alright," she said looking at the computer screen. She typed then clicked then stared then she shook her head and bit her lip. "I'm sorry, there is no Akura Amarno here," she replied.

"It's Sakura," she replied and blinked rapidly when suddenly three Molly's appeared in front of her.

The woman looked up. "I'm sorry what that was?" she asked.

"My name is Sakura…Sakura Haruno."

The woman looked at the screen again then looked up with wide almond eyes. "Oh! Oh dear!" she said alarmed. "I'm so sorry! You're voice is just so low, I didn't…" she said. "You're the girl! I'll let her know you're here right now!" the woman said picking up the phone. "Yes could you put me through to Tusunade-sama please?" she asked tapping her fingers. She looked at Sakura apologetically, "I'm so sorry sweetheart," she said

Sakura smiled then the world whooshed around her, for a split second she couldn't breathe and the next thing she knew she was headed to the floor. "Oh my god!" was the last thing she heard before blankness took over.

…

She heard mumbling; jumbled words floating around her. Her mind felt foggy and her eyes fluttered open. She took in a deep breath and tried to get her eyes to adjust to the light above her head. The words started to become clearer the more she focused.

"I hope her friend doesn't mind staying out,"…..Sakura thought. That voice sounded like Ino's but that was impossible because Ino was at home.

There was a short silence and soon big brown eyes were looking down at her. "So this is the scare you give me on your first day huh?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura smiled and the world swam around her for a moment. "Sorry,"

Tsunade waved her words off and helped the girl into a sitting position. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura paused and thought as she got comfortable on the bed. She felt better; she didn't feel like she was going to be cut out of oxygen anytime soon. "Better," she smiled and Tsunade smiled at her.

"Well I took the liberty of doing our normal check up on you while you were out cold. I gave you all your shots and injections. And this-" she took up a medium sized party bag and held it in front of Sakura. "Has all your medication, all of them, the most important one arrived this morning since the hospitals supply was out. I gave you a liquefied injection of the green, blue, yellow and the three white pills. You won't have to take those until tomorrow again. You know what to take, when to take them and everything right?"

"Yes Tsunade-sama," Sakura whispered taking the bag.

Tsunade helped the small girl to her feet and engulfed her in a hug. "Listen to me," she said sternly. "I don't care what anybody else says about you, I don't care what they think but take it easy. Don't overdo it because Sakura I swear your body can't take anymore right now. You just did surgery five months ago and even though that seems like a long time ago to you, it's a short time ago to me. Take it easy if not for you then for me so I can sleep easy at night." She said holding the girl at arm's length.

Sakura smiled. "I promise don't worry about me." she insisted.

Tsunade sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed and looked at her seriously. "I've assigned you another Therapist or a Psychologistor whatever you would like to call her," she stated with a sigh.

Sakura frowned automatically; she wished she didn't frown but she did. "Why?" she asked her big eyes open wide clearly showing that she didn't want to go.

"Because I think you need to start going once again after that last _incident_. I don't know how it has affected you and neither do you really and I worry too much and I am too busy to watch over you as much as I used to. Things are hectic here already and I just came." She replied. "Her name is Sayouku Changlin, her office is at her home and you begin treatment this Saturday at ten."

"but-" Sakura said trying desperately to protest but Tsunade's hand went up instantly.

"No butts," she said firmly. "You are going and that's it. At ten a car will come and pick you up and you will go. Rin will get a letter stating that you will have somewhere important to go, it's confidential. There is my signature at the end and I will phone call her to let her know not to ask you about it. You are going and you're going to be a good girl and co-operate."

Sakura smiled even though she didn't want to. She smiled widely. "Yes Ma'am,"

"Good. I have everything covered, I've already paid her for six months and hopefully If I am slick enough I'll have your x-rays in the morning and see what's happening in those bones of yours since I haven't really gotten the hang of this place." She stated. "If anything I'll phone a call to the school and have you here if anything un-natural comes up."

Sakura nodded and gazed at the floor.

"How have you been feeling? And don't you even think about lying to me, I don't have time for it."

"Tired," Sakura said honestly. "Very, very tired and the migraines are coming more and more but that's it."

"Tired?" Tsunade asked. "What kind of tired?"

Sakura looked up and smiled. "Just the normal tired." Tsunade glared at her and she fidgeted nervously. "Tired, Tsunade-sama. I wake up and I'm tired, I walk down the stairs and to my next class and I feel really tired all the time. But it's nothing." she insisted.

Tsunade was silent for a moment in thought and looked at the ground. "I don't like the sound of that. I know you're Anemic, I am aware of that, I know what it does to you and how it affects you but being tired so much like that…I don't like the sound of that. I know about your cardiac muscles too but… I heard you fainted today. Tell me about that." she stated.

Sakura looked up wide eyed. "How did you hear about that?"

"Ino's outside. She came a few minutes ago and told me about it." Tsunade replied. "Come Sakura, speak."

"The migraine but I was feeling really tired but I didn't take it as anything because it was just minor. I was walking out and I just blacked out." She said.

Tsunade nodded. "Alright, I don't like how that sounds, it could be anything and I could just be over reacting but I don't like how that sounds. Your Anemia hasn't made you so tired that you're tired every single day, walking down the halls and you feel so fatigued. Your mothers mother had cancer and so did your father's mother. You have it on both sides of your family. Maybe I should look into this."

"No," Sakura said quickly with a smile. "No, don't worry. I'm fine; I'm perfectly fine and remember that I haven't had any of my medication for three days."

"You're right," Tsunade mused, "you're so right. I suppose it's not anything to worry about considering everything else _but_ Sakura please you have to keep me posted. You have all your medication, all of them and if all of this continues you have to tell me. Are we clear Sakura?" she asked sternly.

"Yes Tsunade-sama," she said softly.

"Are we _clear?_" she asked again. "I know you, I know that you take everything about yourself so lightly and I don't because you will die. The slightest thing, I want to know. You have another meeting with me on the second Therapy meeting, right after, good?"

"Yes," Sakura said.

Tsunade nodded. "Alright," she said with a heavy sigh as she rose. "Well then I want you to go home, eat and get a good night sleep." She hugged Sakura once again. "Don't do anything stupid until we have another check up honey," she said softly.

"I promise to take care of myself Tsunade-sama." She promised.

Tsunade ruffled her pink hair. "Alright kido, let's go," she said as she opened the door. Ino and Tenten were outside and Sakura smiled.

"What kind of check up takes so long?" Tenten demanded.

Tsunade glared. Kids these days were just so darn rude, not an ounce of respect about them. "It's a _special _check up." she said. She looked at Sakura. "Be good," she said before she departed from them down the hall and through a door.

Ino took the bag from Sakura's hand. "So what was up with the faint Tenten was telling me about?" she asked as all three of them headed down the hall to the elevator.

"I was just tired, anemia." Sakura said with a smile and they entered the elevator. "What are you doing here? I thought your mother wanted you home?"

"She did and can you believe the bitch! She called me over and when I reach she's like 'oh Ino honey you were so right and your father took care of it'! I swear I almost exploded with the fires of hell screaming through my face! I could swear I was shooting steam from my ears!"

Tenten laughed. "Nice mom you have there,"

"Tell me about it! She's just the fu…the best." Ino stopped. She hated swearing around Sakura. She knew her best friend didn't like it. They headed back down to ground level and exited the hospital.

"Well I better get home; I don't know how much Nadaka is driving my father crazy. Nice meeting you Ino."

Ino smiled, "same here Tenten and thanks again."

Tenten smiled. "Anytime. See you tomorrow Sakura."

"Bye Tenten have a good afternoon." She smiled before heading to the car with Ino. Once they got in and buckled their seat belt they were off. "Guess what?" Ino almost squealed immediately.

"I don't know," Sakura said lamely.

"Shikamaru asked me to sit with him tomorrow! Can you believe it! I think he actually likes me!"

"Everyone likes you Ino," Sakura said matter-of-factly.

"Sakura," Ino said, "do you understand how MAJOR this is! We get to sit with the hottest band that has the hottest players and hottest guys to ever walk this earth and one actually likes me! He ACTUALLY likes ME! I mean he hasn't said it but I mean he asked me to sit with him it has to mean he likes me because if he didn't like me he wouldn't want me to sit with him! I was literally shaking when he asked me! Then!" she gushed. "I never told you this part but when I went to the bathroom before school was out, they were heading out and he came to me and told me good bye! He asked me if I was going to see their last concert and I said hell yeah and he SMILED! My god Sakura! This is like way more than I ever expected on my FRIST DAY!" she screamed grinning from ear to ear.

Sakura smiled. "You seem really excited." She said lamely.

"I am!" she glanced at Sakura. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "I'm fine, just want to sleep." She said. She looked out the window. The sun was setting now, the sky exploding with reds and oranges almost like a radial- BOOM had happened. The sky was beautiful.

Sakura told Ino the address and with a map in one hand they eventually found the house. Sakura thanked Ino and dashed inside the house.

_**You know the drill. Hope it was a good read. I have exams so the next chapter will take a while to come but be patient. **_

_**Much Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	10. Chapter 10

_Hey everyone! It's been a while hasn't it? Exams were hard, finished my last set today and I think I failed. Story of my life. Well as a gift here is a long chapter. Just a warning also, some long ass chapters will be on the way. This one is the longest one so far and guess what? It's chapter ten! If you deem this review worthy you will review so I won't be begging for them anymore…I think. The story is going to start get kicking now :)^_^ _

_PS: Sakura + Sasuke= totally in this chapter ^_^_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Ten}**

I rang the door bell before I opened the door. I didn't want them to think that because I moved in with them that I thought I belonged with them. I rang the door bell about a minute later again and the door opened instantly. It was Rin and relief washed her face. I couldn't understand it.

"Where have you been?" she asked pulling me inside and hugging me so tightly I couldn't breathe for a moment. "I was so worried about you!" she said sternly.

I blinked. She was worried about me? I just got here and she hardly knew me. How could you worry about someone you didn't even know or better yet, someone who was freeloading from you? The only person that had ever been worried about me was Ino and Tsunade and their worrying was something else. I hung my head. If she did truly worry, that wasn't wanted to happen. I never wanted her to have to worry about a stranger when she had better things doing. What was I thinking?

"I am so sorry." I apologized.

"Oh darling don't sound so sad, I'm a worry head." She said as she shuffled me into the living room. She pointed to the kitchen up to my left then pointed to the dining room that was down left from the kitchen. "Your dinner is on the kitchen counter and a place is already set at the table for you to go and eat." she stated. She looked down at the bag in my hand curiously. "Did you go shopping? So soon?"

I looked down at my feet, I felt intimidated by her. "No, I uh… I followed Ino to the hospital for a checkup and I got one too." My voice always wavered when I lied and the horrible feeling of nausea always came with it. I hated lying so much to people and I was never the best.

"Oh that was so nice of the doctor." She mused. "Well you're free to go and freshen up; I'll heat up your meal once you're ready for it."

"Thank you very much Aunt Rin," I said still looking down.

She laughed. "You're welcome dear. Atona isn't home yet." she stated thoughtfully. "Which isn't really surprising." She laughed almost in disappoint.

I nodded and went right to my room. When I went inside I dropped my bag on the computer chair and sat on the bed. I felt so tired I couldn't understand it. I felt exhausted and I had that feeling someone would get after walking up far too many stairs. I rubbed my right arm; I knew that was where Tsunade-sama injected me. It stung and itched now. I sighed and looked at my feet as they were flat on the floor. I got through the day and my make up got through with me too. I was so afraid it would come off; Tsunade said it wouldn't but I had still thought it would have.

I didn't want to look perfect but I had a lot of scars and burses that I didn't want other people to see. I wasn't beautiful, I wasn't even close to being considered as pretty and the burns and scars and slashes across my body were hideous, ugly and disturbing. Tsunade said that since I was moving it was safe to say I was allowed to wear the concealer for my scars until the thick ones went down. It really is a long story as to how I even got here…

_Are we really going to keep all this a secret? _

_We're going to try. I just…don't want the attention, we just got here and they already don't like me. I don't want to…_

I felt my eyes close instantly and I entered dream land before I could stop myself.

…

Something nudged me and I stirred.

"Sakura," a sweet voice called.

I smiled or at least it felt like I was smiling. "Mom?" I asked in a haze. I had no idea where I was or even why. I sat up but my eyes were still closed.

There was a light laugh. "No sweetheart. You fell asleep, come on now you have to eat something before you go to bed. Up."

I opened my eyes and rubbed them. I looked around and the memories flashed back. For a moment I had forgotten everything that had happened, it was surprising.

"Come on now, you have to take a shower." She said again.

I nodded and stretched. "Thank you," I said rubbing my eyes and standing. The world spun around me before everything steadied itself.

"Anytime, now go take a shower, put on your Pjs and when you're finished eating you go to bed. You look beat tired. Bad first day?" she asked kindly.

I forced a smile. "No, it was really good and memorable. They were nice,"

She smiled. "Wonderful! I know how kids can be when someone new comes in. Just remember to be careful and don't change your personality to fit into any group. Everyone is always struggling to be like someone else; to be accept it's so crazy a mother like me just never gets it." she smiled then flung her hands up in the air almost as if she had forgotten something. "I'm blabbering when you should be taking a shower." She said walking to the door. She walked out and closed the door.

She was so sweet and nice. I still couldn't believe she took me in, even after she had no idea who I was. I hoped that I didn't do anything to make her hate me or dislike me and send me to my father. I really don't want to go back. I did what she told me to do; I went and took a shower. I made sure that I scrubbed my face and arms and my neck to get all the makeup off.

When I was finished I put on long sleeve Pjs that stopped at my ankles. The food was steaming on the table. I thanked her and sat at the table. I wasn't in the mood to eat, I really didn't want to but it would have been rude if I didn't. It would be the second time I hardly ate anything and the last thing I wanted to do was be rude. I picked up the fork and started at the task. It was steamed fish stuffed with carrots and corn, white rice and rich red gravy. The food was good but I could hardly decipher the taste of it. It tasted funny in my mouth and I knew it was because my mouth didn't want any food in it and my body didn't want into in my stomach. I still ate anyways, I should eat because eating is good and I hadn't eaten anything all day. I just have to eat even when I'm not hungry considering that I am always not hungry.

Aunt Rin had already gone to her room and I was at the table alone in silence. I didn't mind, noise was never good for me just like a lot of other things. The silence was comforting and peaceful. As I ate I heard the front door open and slam shut.

There was ruffling and Atona came into my view. She was so very pretty, even with all the makeup she had on. She would have been much prettier without it all. She glared at me. What did I do to her now?

"Where's my mom?" she demanded unhappily.

I swallowed and words seemed to stumble around my head. I looked at my plate when I spoke. "Uh I think she's in her room." I whispered.

"What? You're talking to me not the plate if you hadn't noticed."

I looked up but avoided eye contact. "I think she's in her room." I said louder.

She nodded grimly and came over to me. Her hands hit the table with a thud. I jumped automatically. "What were you doing with Shikamaru?" she demanded.

I sank into the chair and held my head down.

"I'm talking to you." she said harshly.

"I wasn't doing anything… I didn't mean t-to." I stuttered, the words were in my head but they were having a really hard time coming out.

She laughed bitterly. "Right, nothing, that I am so sure. Would you care to enlighten me as to how you even met him?"

"I f-fainted."

"And I'm in the same class with you and I didn't notice. What are you saying to me now?" she asked rhetorically. "Well I'm not going to tell you not to 'faint' again but listen to me good. I _don't _want you to even _look _at them again or else you'll be dealing with me. I don't know who the hell you think you are to just come here and have your hands all over them. What are you? Some sort of migrating whore? I didn't want you here to begin with and if you even try even a little too upset me and my life I'll make sure to send you back to where ever the hell it is you came from. Got that?"

"y-y…yes."

She smiled and stood straight. "Good. Have a good night…_newbe._" She spat and walked off.

By the time she was gone I was shaking with tears brimming the sides of my eyes. I looked at my plate as tears silently trickled down. I was so afraid of people; afraid of how mean they all were to me…I was so afraid of life sometimes. Tears fell onto the plate that didn't even looked like I touched anything yet. That was almost true, I only took four small bites out of the fish and six fork full's of rice. I couldn't force down anymore and I wasn't going to try. I wiped my eyes, threw the food into the bin and went right to bed. I prayed, looked out the window before I dozed off.

Sometimes you can't even escape in your dreams because all your troubles and nightmares follow you there.

_**Normal P.O.V**_

_His callous hand grabbed her. His other hit her hard across the face before he threw her like a rag doll, her body crashing into the night table, the lamp smashing and splintering right into her. She screamed as her body hit the floor with a heavy thud. Her body did a one roll right into the glass of the aftermath. Tears rushed down her face as she screamed again. _

"_You little bitch!" his voice boomed. "What do you think? You're just going to go now since you sent your mother off?" _

_She touched her back, her hands shaking like a leaf when her hand touched splintered glass and came back bloody. She looked up at her father._

_It was not her fault, it was never her fault but for some reason he blamed her. He blamed her for everything that went wrong but she knew, she could see it in his eyes that he was scared shitless of losing her. _

_She gasped, "I-I'm not…trying to le-leave you," she said looking at her shaking bloody hands. _

_Her eyes could hardly focus on him as he crossed the room and knelt down in front of her. Something else wrought his face; some other battle was going on in him. She wanted him to see, she wanted him to see that she was not her mother. She wanted him to believe that she didn't deserve this. That everything that she said was true, that she never lied, that she never wanted it to end this way and go the way it did and that she didn't want any of this. After everything that he had done to her, she still wanted to let him know that she was not her mother._

"_That's what your mother said to me," he said as though he was trapped back in time. _

_She heaved in air, shaking as she did so. Her chest ached and her throat burned. She was trying her best not to have an asthma attack. "I'm not….n-not her." she choked out. _

_She shifted; pain blazed through her back, shattered her vision sending her into the burning flames of pain. She gasped, gritted her teeth and let the tears fall, she however made no sound. _

_He rose not bothering to help her. "I thought the same thing about her too." He replied walking away. "3:30 or I burn it into your skin with hot iron." He threatened walking away. _

_Funny thing about it was that one month later…he did. _

Her body shot up instantly as she screamed. It was sharp and filled with fright but she stopped the second she heard herself. The room zoomed in and out of her vision and she blinked. Her head was spinning and nothing was making any sense to her.

Sakura looked at the time. It was time for her to get ready for school anyways. She looked out the window and even with pain, sorrow and sadness in her eyes she smiled. A new day meant new things, new possibilities and another day that she was going to get to experience and that –to her- was more than enough for her to smile for. She got ready for school and was out of the house in Ino's car on her way to school. Ino glanced at her with care.

"Did you take your medication?" she demanded suspiciously.

Sakura smiled. "Yes I did,"

"And you have the ones you need to take during the day in your school bag?"

Sakura laughed. "Yes I do Ino, yes I do. The day just started, it's too early for you to be worrying about me." Sakura insisted.

"I should and you can't come out of the car looking like that! You didn't even cover your arms with the right. I'll have to fix that for you."

She felt tired, that was what she could attest to at the moment. She felt really, really tired even after she knew she got more than enough hours of sleep and that she took the medications that she was supposed to.

They reached home room just about a second before the bell rang. Delilah smirked at them and shooed them to their seat. Sakura made her way to her seat and ignored the glares, whispers and comments thrown her way. If she didn't ignore them it would start to feel like she was being stabbed and shot over and over again.

She sat down in her seat, sunk down in it and held her head low. The first class she had was Language and she carefully took out her book. Currently she was the only sitting where she was, the other boys who were sitting there yesterday weren't there now. She was staring at her hands when silence engulfed the room. She looked up and instantly looked back down. It was the group of boys but Atona had made herself clear. Sakura didn't want to be a 'migrating whore'. It was best if she stayed to herself, and didn't force herself on them like she had yesterday. How could she have done something so selfish? She felt so awful and disgusted with herself. They sat down and Delilah marked the register and left.

"Good morning Sakura," Shikamaru said lamely. He couldn't stop himself from speaking to her or to be rude to her rather.

She peaked up behind her lashes, a small blush on her face. She could not be rude. "Good morning Shikamaru."

"Sakura is it?" A blue eyed boy asked with a wide grin his blonde hair spiked all over his cute head. "You're really pretty did you know that?"

She laughed nervously. "Thank you very much…?"

"The names Naruto, best guy you'll ever meet. I'm the bestest in the world, my awesomeness stretches to the corners of the earth and touches every soul." He grinned.

"Who the hell lied to you like that?" Shikamaru asked.

"Pardon his idiocy." A brown haired boy said politely his eyes looking as if they were seeing right through her and into her very soul. His eyes were beautiful as she looked up at them and their serene whiteness. "He wasn't born with much sense."

"That's right Sakura, be careful of the idiot, his stupidity might begin to scare you." Shikamaru said. "Some say his stupidity is the only kind that is contagious."

Sakura giggled.

"HEY! Not cool! I was totally trying to impress this girl! I actually want her to talk to me you know! And I so do have sense, don't listen to them, I am the smartest and baddest guy you'll ever meet too. Believe it!" he said defensively.

Neji rolled his eyes. "You do see what Shikamaru means right? He is oblivious that the word 'baddest' doesn't exist."

Sakura laughed and Naruto glared. "You're such a complete asshole dude, a serious douchebag! You have to believe me Sakura-chan." He stated looking hard at her, his face exuberant.

Sakura laughed. "And I do," Sakura said with a small smile.

"How are you feeling?" Shikamaru couldn't help but ask.

She seemed a little bit interesting to him and the more he looked at her the feebler and more helpless she looked. She looked so lost in this sea of people and so afraid of them at the moment he couldn't understand it. There was no recognition in her eyes, no excitement he also noted just some unknown fright and dread. She was good though he had to give her that because she was masking it extremely well and if his eyes weren't so keen and if he wasn't so observant of people he would have never noticed.

She looked up at him almost stunned. "I fine, thank you so much for asking." She said sweetly.

He nodded. She was fine. From his point of view it didn't seem that way but he didn't know her, didn't know how she lived and couldn't use his opinions to decide if she was fine or not. She was her own person and so she must know the answer to that even though he picked up that she was lying. Her voice hitched on another wave length different from her own and vibrated with uncertainty. She was a horrible liar it made him smirk when he thought about it.

He didn't speak to her again and he didn't have to seeing that Naruto was hogging the girl's attention. He was making her laugh, which was a very nice and tender sound. She smiled as she spoke to him and he laughed. He chuckled, wasn't surprising that the two of them clicked. It was funny how Sasuke didn't make move to get rid of her yet like they always did when someone came to sit in Gaara's seat…or well ex seat since he moved away. It was too late to run her now, Naruto had officially made friends with her and if anyone knew how Naruto was, he wasn't going to let anyone run her away. Good people always attracted good people one way or the other.

"Where's our teacher?" Sakura asked curiously.

"She's always late, give her some time. She'll be here." Shikamaru stated.

Sakura looked at him curious. "She is always late?" she asked stunned.

"Never early would work too. You seem…disappointed." He mused.

"I want to learn so I guess I am." She said honestly.

Heads turned to look at her like she had completely lost her mind. Naruto's mouth was open. "Was I the only one who just heard those words leave her mouth?" he asked.

She looked around. "What did I say?" she asked self consciously.

"You _want _to learn?" Naruto asked flabbergasted.

She nodded. "Is something wrong with that? Isn't that what we come to school for? Don't you guys enjoy learning?"

Naruto burst out into boisterous laughter. "I think I might be falling in love with this girl!" he laughed. He patted her head. "You're so cute, as if we want to learn." he laughed.

Neji chuckled, she was sweet, he had to give her that and her innocence stunned him. He turned his head and looked at her.

"Do you know who we are?" he asked her politely.

She blushed and looked down. "Ino says you're very famous," she noted.

"Says Ino?" he asked. "So _you_ have no idea who we are then?"

"No," she said "it makes me lame I know. She says you're all very famous, I wouldn't even know that if she didn't point it out yesterday to me." She said and peaked up at them timidly. She looked so submissive to him, in his sick mind it turned him on. She was cute.

"Wait! You don't know us!" Naruto yelled. Heads turned and suddenly all eyes were on them.

"Ino does," Sakura said softly looking at her slightly shaking hands. She didn't like speaking directly to other people; it made her so nervous especially when other people were watching. The attention was making her head spin. _Stop looking. _She thought desperately.

"HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW WHO WE ARE!" he burst out. "Is that even possible?"

"Idiot keep your voice down." Shikamaru stated. The poor girl paled before his bored eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," she said honestly, feeling some sort of shame come over her.

"I cannot believe it…" Naruto said lost then a light bulb went off in his head. "That's why you're not drooling over us like everyone else! Oh I get it! I was wondering about that, no wonder you don't treat us different!"

Neji rolled his eyes. Took the idiot long enough to figure that part out.

The door opened and a tall woman with big brown eyes walked in. She had shoulder length messy hair and a…cigarette in her mouth? She took it out and crushed it on the table. She looked at them almost as though she slept walked to school.

"Alright class I'm so angry with all of you I find myself trying to smoke it away so I don't come up in the place and pop a couple caps in you. We're coupling up and you all have a graded assignment." The class groaned. She rolled her eyes. "Trust me I'm not too excited either." She sat down and started grouping.

When she was done Sakura was partners with someone by the name of Hanabi a blond haired girl. She noticed that the group of boys had no partners. She didn't question it. She looked at Hanabi and the girl glared at her to hell.

Sasuke watched her every move, counted her every breath, noted each heart beat and monitored her every step. This bitch was going to drive him crazy and as far as he knew he was already a mad man. Her soul was singing to him, lulling him to her with its sweetness and purity and her blood was cooing to him. He felt almost confined within his mind and will power. He was trying his best to ignore her, to not rip her head off and ruin her entire being but such task was proving dangerously difficult. She sat right next to him, if she moved her scent moved towards him; suffocating him.

He didn't breathe but it just didn't change anything, her scent was implanted in his memory already and he couldn't get rid of it now. It was too late and he knew that. He watched her; glared would have been a better word. Her small body was shaking with nerves, she was so afraid of everyone and everything around her he couldn't get it. There was no hint of self confidence, not an ounce of self certainly about her. She just seemed so lost.

He was a man of hate but he wasn't unreasonable. She was a nice girl, not that he liked her, not that he wanted to associate himself with her but she was honestly a nice and sweet girl with a clean heart. Girls like her were hard to find about the place with such innocence but he hated her anyways. If he didn't hate her bad things would happen to her. He hated her to protect her so he didn't rip her head off. A girl like that did deserve to live.

However he hated when other girls looked at her, it seemed to tick him off on another level he'd never experienced. They were glaring at her, they were saying such bad and horrible things about her and calling her such bad names under their breaths it infuriated him. He had to force himself to sit in his seat and act uninterested. How dare they say such things about her? So he said things like that about her but he had right, and he had never once verbalized them for he knew they were not true. It was only because of the effect she had on him which she was oblivious to.

Hanabi's hand went up. "Can I chose another partner?" she asked rolling her eyes at Sakura as she rose.

The teacher –Leela- looked up and glared. "What? Why? What's wrong with her?" she asked waving her hand indicating Sakura.

"I just don't want to be partners with her, Miss Shakhaki I am sure you can respect that."

Sakura leaned back into her seat and held her down to hide her face.

Leela sighed. "If anyone wants to switch partners with you fine, go right on ahead."

"Someone, anyone?" she asked hopefully. "I don't want to be partners with this attention hogging bitch."

"You did not just say that." Ino said as she rose from her seat. "I'd advise you to not even go there, don't talk shit about her bitch or you'll be dealing with me. You bimbo slut."

"Who're you calling a slut you whore? It's not my fault your friends with Pink Bitch over there." she said frankly.

Ino stepped out of her seat and walked over to her. "You _do not _want to take me on, I'll swat you like a fly." Ino seethed stepping closer. Ino would never, not ever, let someone talk trash about Sakura. It always pissed her off when people did, talking like they know her.

Sasuke sighed. He was going to regret this but from looking at her; the small conflict was obviously killing the poor girl. He didn't like her but he didn't like what they were doing to her either and he really wasn't in the mood to let something like this escalate.

"I'll take her." Sasuke said in a bored voice.

A train of whispers instantly ran through the class and Hanabi screamed. "Yes! Thank you so much Sasuke, I've always wanted to be partners with you. I promise you won't regret this." Hearts thumped in her eyes.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I meant her." he said his eyes darting to Sakura for a second. "Not you."

Her mouth opened in an O.

Leela burst into malicious and boisterous laughter. "Alright, now since that's settled-"

"but-" Hanabi objected

"Hey look, you wanted to get rid of her and you have now shut up and sit down. Here's your assignment. I want a conversation. I know, that hardly makes sense but it's an easy graded assignment because I'm sick and tired of writing mostly F's all the time in the system. It's as if you all purposefully don't learn anything I teach you, ignore commas and full stops and willing fail my tests. I mean, you all speak this stupid language as it is and I just can't understand how you're failing! I don't handle failure from my students well and anyone who fails this –and I really don't even see how you really can-, you're going to have detention for two weeks, including Saturdays. The conversation doesn't matter. Just some conversation between you and your partner. I don't want anything explicit either. That means your mouth will not be opening, you'll be speaking through a piece of paper. Think of it as old time texting, passing notes if you will. Format should be a little similar to reading a script if you will. Yes it will be graded, no duh, I already said that and I will not be lenient –look how easy it already is- and I am sure I've drilled good grammar into you enough. I'm only out for punctuation and all you really need is to write your full stops and bam! You get an A, really, it's that simple. Do your work while I take a nap." She said grudgingly.

Naruto's hand went up. The woman glared. "Yes Naruto, what is it?"

"I don't fully understand this Leela." He said, not missing a beat in calling her by her first name.

She groaned. "What is there not to understand? Get a piece of paper and write stuff on it. That's really all I'm asking because you all could use an A+ right now. If you don't know what to talk about just pretend you're meeting each other for the first time and ask stupid things like names, hobbies and favorite colors. I don't really care." She said.

Papers starting fishing out and Sakura looked over at Sasuke. He glared at her and she instantly looked down.

"T-thank you very m-much," she stuttered.

He grunted and scooted his desk closer to hers' until they were both touching. He took out a paper and handed it to her.

"Start the conversation." He said through gritted teeth.

She took out her pen and with a shaking hand began to write. Her writing was simply joined and not really the prettiest to speak about.

_Sakura: I'm very sorry. _

She slid the paper timidly over to him. He read it before it was even in front of him. He raised an eyebrow. With his sleek and seductive penmanship he blessed the paper with his writing.

_Sasuke: For? _

He slid the paper over to her.

_Sakura: I must have done something very awful for you to dislike me like this. I just want to apologize to you. I am very sorry for whatever it is that I have done to upset you. _

_Sasuke: I do not dislike you._

_Sakura: It's okay, I know that you do. I see how you look at me with such intense hate, I don't mind, I just wanted to apologize. _

_Sasuke: You watch me?_

_Sakura: Not to sound rude or anything but it's the other way around. I can't help but notice how hard you glare at me. I'm sorry._

_Sasuke: You have not done anything to me. _

_Sakura: Then why do you hate me so much?_

_Sasuke: Does it really matter? My reasons are my own. _

_Sakura: Then you do admit you don't like me. _

He smirked. So she wasn't stupid.

_Sasuke: Observant are we? _

He watched her and noticed the small smile and blush that graced her pale face.

_Sakura: Just a little. If you have reasons to dislike me then I understand that. _

_Sasuke: Do you now? Enlighten me as to what you actually comprehend. _

_Sakura: I am aware that a lot of people don't like me, having reasons to such makes it understandable. Your reasons are your own. _

_Sasuke: That they are Sakura that they are. Surname?_

_Sakura: Haruno, Sakura Haruno. Is this mutual for me to ask yours?_

_Sasuke: you don't know my name?_

_Sakura: Should I? _

_Sasuke: interesting. Sasuke Uchiha. _

When he noticed that she'd read the paper and no recognition crossed her face he snatched the paper up, ripped it to shreds and rose. He went to the front of the class calmly and dropped it in the bin, all eyes following him as he did so. The price for being famous this time around he realized. He had no honest motive for throwing the paper away but he just had to get away, even if this small a distance. She was driving him completely insane, he was feeling something take over him and his animal clawed at his insides…literally. He was hungry…God he was starving actually and he needed to feed. He couldn't sit around with her around him and he was hungry it just made him want to rip her out in every way possible even more. As he was sitting there, strategies upon strategies ran through his head on how he could kill her and not get caught, kill her right in class without having someone even notice it.

Why was this girl doing this to him? What had he ever done to her to have her control him and have this power over him? She'd just come out of nowhere, changing his mood and his view. She was ruining his life and all she had done to him so far was exist. His hate for her was also growing by the second but then his logical side didn't hate her since she was so nice and hadn't done a thing to him. Irrationally he hated her very being, every cell, every fiber of her being he just disliked it all. He took deep breaths as he made his way back to his seat. He tried to control himself and be calm no matter how hard it was proving to be. He wasn't Prince for nothing, he wasn't going to let this human girl control him.

He knew he was going to regret it and the time was now. He should have just left her with whatever her first partner's name was but he just could not control himself for some unknown reason. It had just angered him to have them treat her like that and without thinking he'd opened his mouth and couldn't take it back. He sat down and she didn't look up at him. He gazed at her and she fidgeted. She still didn't look at him.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked his voice tender almost, he felt like if he spoke to her too loud she'd jump. She was avoiding eye contact, with everyone he'd noticed.

She nodded meekly and he had to blink. Did she just actually-? That was a surprise; he couldn't tell when last a woman actually said she was afraid of him. To hell, how badly was he looking at the damn girl to actually frighten her so much?

"Please don't look at me like that," she said, her voice soft and tender, floating on a little cloud with the wind of wavering fright.

"And how am I looking at you?" he asked.

She shook her head, her way of telling him to forget about it. "It's fine."

"Then if it's fine you should be able to look at me when you're speaking." He stated. He shook his head minutely, only a few more minutes to go and they'd be out of this place. He took out another piece of paper. He wasn't planning on giving that conversation to their teacher either.

"Why did you…get rid of the other one?" he heard her mumble.

"Because I could," he replied simply. He was the first one to write on paper. At the top of the paper he wrote _Total=_ _25 questions _

He eyed her. "Be careful what you ask." He warned darkly.

_Sasuke: Why did you move here?_

_Sakura: It's complicated. How old are you?_

_Sasuke: 17 by law. Natural or color?_

_Sakura: Natural. What's your favorite color?_

_Sasuke: Black. _

_Sakura: Black isn't a color._

He smirked.

_Sasuke: Simple logic, you can see black can't you?_

_Sakura: Well yes._

_Sasuke: Then the absence of color is actually a color in its own essence for you can still see it. _

_Sakura: That is how you see it?_

_Sasuke: Illogical logic but yes. What is your favorite color?_

_Sakura: White _

_Sasuke: Why?_

_Sakura: Because it is the presence of all color and I love all the colors you can think of. I can't pick one so I pick them all indirectly. _

_Sasuke: Touché Sakura. _

_Sakura: Logical logic don't you think? _

He saw the small smile on her face as he chuckled.

_Sasuke: Mocking me are we?_

_Sakura: No of course not! _

_Sasuke: How old are you?_

_Sakura: 17. How did you become famous?_

_Sasuke: It's a story that would put you to sleep. _

_Sakura: What do you do?_

_Sasuke: As in?_

_Sakura: In the band or whatever it is that you're in._

_Sasuke: I sing and play the guitar but I play many other instruments. _

_Sakura: You sing?_

_Sasuke: It surprises even me at times but yes I do. Any talents?_

_Sakura: No. _

_Sasuke: There must be something you can do._

_Sakura: I write, it is nothing good or special or grammatically what I would like it to be. _

_Sasuke: What do you write?_

_Sakura: Things that would put you to sleep from the boredom of it all._

He chuckled and glanced at her. She was smiling and she peeped up at him for a second before blushing and looking back down.

_Sasuke: Do you sing? _

_Sakura: Why would you ask me that?_

_Sasuke: That's not answering my question. _

_Sakura: I used to. _

_Sasuke: And why don't you anymore?_

_Sakura: I just can't anymore. _

_Sasuke: Lost your voice?_

_Sakura: It is something much more complicated than that. Why did you ask?_

_Sasuke: Your voice is very tender and even. I decided to ask, was that a problem?_

_Sakura: No, no it wasn't. Do you have any siblings? _

_Sasuke: A brother if you want to really call him that and that's about it. Do you?_

_Sakura: I'm an only child._

Sasuke took the paper and folded it. There, that was it; he didn't have to associate with her for the rest of the class. They were finished, god it was agony for him, so much agony.

He rose and placed it on the desk of his teacher that was fast asleep and slowly went back to his seat. If he forced himself really hard to look past his hate and intense irrational dislike of her he would actually enjoy her company of some sort. She wasn't a fan girl which gave her a series of bonus points other girls would kill to get. She seemed sincere and actually really nice which gave her far more points in his book and she had a sweet innocent sense of humor, the kind that he actually found amusing unlike the other girls whose sense of humor was not his type and that would give this Sakura girl even more points in his book.

If he forced himself and tried, tried very hard to be a rational man that he knew himself to be he could hold a conversation with this girl before the class was out. She was interesting but then again did he really want to get himself into something like this? She was the first person on the entire planet since his existence to ever affect him to this magnitude so was he sure that he _didn't _want to get into something like this? Maybe that was the correct question, was he sure that he didn't want to?

He sighed mentally, no he wasn't sure and in the long run he might regret this. He thought, this might be his most idiotic decision ever, was he really sure he wanted to do this? He looked at her as he neared the seat, why not? What did he have to lose? She was just one simple life and he did want to know why she affected him the way that she did.

He'd have to look past his intense hate. Dagnamit! Was he going to let his hate control him? It was controlling him more than the damn human was which was worse. He always had control over his hate, always and now he was letting it control him? No, but then… he sighed. He'd made the decision subconsciously the second he started contemplating this whole damn thing.

He sat down and looked at her. He sighed and swallowed his pride. "Sakura," he said her name rolling off his tongue in a burst of heat and unintentional sensual warmth.

Her head snapped up at him. "Y-yes?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, forgive my unintentional hostility towards you." he said almost mechanically.

She looked down and nodded. "It's fine," she peeped, "there is no need to apologize."

"Then why won't you look at me?" he asked her his head tilted to one side. "Are you that afraid?"

She looked up at him then. "Should I be honest with you…S-Sasuke?"

"Yes you should be,"

"Yes I am that afraid."

_**There you go you guys! I hope it was a good read and please, come on, just one little review? Isn't this worth reviewing? Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me this far, I hope chapters 1-10 has no disappointed you. **_

_**Much Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Prepare for a LONG ASS CHAPTER!**__Here we are again you guys! Read and enjoy and everything. For the record of this story I will be explaining just a few terms from now just so you don't get all confused. _

_**Knights **– these are the people who work under Sasuke in his sector/ council which is responsible for the recruiting of supernatural people and the like into their own community and they take orders directly from Sasuke and the Pentitantum. _

_**Black Blades- **this speaks about a different set of men who work under Sasuke's command and they deal with the dirty and gritty things of the job. They're the ones who kill people that need to be killed, get bounty and information… they're the like gangs and mafias. _

_**Pentitantum- **this is the head council that's the Boss of everything…they are like the government where Sasuke comes from and his parents are the head of the council. This dictates the jobs of the Knights and the other sectors/ minor councils. Itachi was also given his sector. You know, like a police head quarters and you have the different divisions. _

_**Kapasula- **__this is the name given to the main leaders of a specific species. So like, the entire specie of say Vampires would have one main leader representing them on the council and he/she would be referred to as Kapasula. Kapasula can be used to refer to an entire clan. For example, the strongest dragons are the Hyugas__and so they are referred to as Kapasula since members from their clan/specie are the ones on the council representing __**all types of **__dragons. _

_**Jumping Levels- **__this just refers to getting stronger; increase in power or level ups. Very simple._

_Yeah so that's it I guess. Now you guys can start reading, Hope that long thing didn't turn you off. ^.^_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Eleven}**

"I don't know!" he screamed, strained. His body was shaking, blood leaking from his mouth and temples.

Sasuke nodded. He figured as much. "Who's in charge of this night?" he asked.

"Rolin!" he screamed.

Sasuke nodded again. That was all he needed to know. He leaned in the car and patted the man's cheek. "Good boy," he chided.

He supposed he was going to pay old Rolin a visit before the night was out. He had time and he most certainly knew where to look. He set out he set the car ablaze and then departed to finish his other errands. He felt almost like a garbage man, cleaning up the mess that other people left just because they left it there too long it started to affect his life.

Damn the world and all the baggage it came with, especially for him because if anything went wrong in the next few months he was expected to be the one to take the fall.

He sighed and began walking leisurely to his destination which was Kata 231, hotel Buriu room 206. He took deep breaths and looked at the moon that was high out. His stuffed his hands into his pocket and began walking.

By the time he arrived on Kata his phone began ringing. He pulled it out and answered.

"What is she?" he demanded.

"You never do the greetings do you Uchiha?" Shikamaru asked lazily. "You've found your Gardien D'âme (soul keeper)." He said.

Sasuke froze. "That is not possible,"

"Actually it's the only possibility and the only logical explanation to the sudden relationship between you and her. I thought it was odd that you disliked her that much and frankly couldn't stop thinking about her and couldn't stop thinking about her at the same time. As prince, it's logical in this fact seeing she has something that is very vital to you." he replied.

"They killed my Gardien D'âme when I was born. They do that to all of my kind except Itachi and Fugaku. There is something else," he stated.

"No there's not. If they claimed to have eliminated your Gardien then they're wrong. Sasuke let's be logical here," Shikamaru said.

He gritted his teeth. "What else?"

"You'll have to kill her." he stated. "That's the only way you can get it, taking it without killing her is impossible unless you're going to let her keep it which makes absolutely no sense."

"Is that a bad thing?"

He was silent. "You're not considering letting her keep it are you?" he asked incredulously. "Are you insane?"

"Just answer me."

"If you let her keep it while you're around her she's going to be a target to get to you. If someone else extracts it from her, you're done for. There is also the fact that you're going to have to maintain each stage that takes place."

"And if I take it?"

"You jump fifty levels and she dies." He replied.

"That's also not possible, I can only jump twenty more levels then that's it. Shikamaru…" Sasuke sighed.

"That's not what this says. If you get it from her, you'll be one of the few to break it. Isn't Fugaku three paces up levels?"

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. This just got more complicated than he would have liked.

"How long can she keep it?"

"As long as you want her to. She keeps it until you take it from her. It's up to you what you do but you know if the people find out about this they're going to do something about it. They're not going to want you to get it if it means jumping so many levels at once and breaking the restrictions by law here. They'll kill her and destroy it just so you don't have it and if the Pentitantum finds out; you already know that they'll make sure you get it before the night is out." He stated.

"I'm aware of that." he growled.

"Then it's safe to say that you need to do something because sooner or later someone outside of us will find out and take matters into their own hands. When are you taking it?"

"Who told you I was taking it?"

"You have to take it Sasuke, she can't just keep it and walk around the place with it with this whole supernatural up roar happening. Your scent is literally emanating from her; someone else will defiantly take it if you don't know what you're doing. We're at odds; Beings are walking around doubling their population among the humans."

"Then I'll mark her until I decide what to do."

"They'll unite and try to take it if you mark her and marking her right now would be like putting a sign on her forehead in bold and italics saying '_**here is Sasuke Uchiha's soul'**_. Don't mark her; they'll know for sure it's yours."

"What's my best bet then?"

Shikamaru sighed and thought for a moment.

Shikamaru was silent. " Try to conceal it as best as you can. That's all you can do. it won't last long since there are stages to take place but it's your best bet until you decide what you're going to do." he said.

"Is that it?"

"I wished it was but I did a thorough search and there's more. This is where the cliché shit is now and you're not going to like it. If you get close to her there's nothing wrong with that but if she falls in love with you and you break her heart more than she mange, her soul will shatter."

"And?"

"It means fool, that if her soul shatters she's going to end up claiming yours as her own and you won't get it back even if you eat it out. It won't be yours anymore because she claimed it as her own…it's like you killed your soul then." He stated.

He began grinding his teeth together. He really wasn't looking forward to this. Demons like him shouldn't have to deal with woman issues, it just wasn't right and to make it worse she was human. If it was one of his kind it would be so much easier to deal with this but she was human, any little thing he did could kill her.

"How does that work now?"

"It's like she has twenty bucks. She's holding ten for you and the other ten is hers. One night she gets robbed and she loses ten bucks. Even though the remaining cash is yours, she's going to take it anyways and make it hers. That means even if you hunt her down, you're not getting that ten bucks cause she already took it. She'll take your soul if you shatter her own and you'll never get it back."

"This is just lovely," he said sarcastically.

"You're telling me, it's just what we need right now on our plate of bullshit." He agreed. "You need to do something."

"Don't you think I know that?" he snapped.

"Of course I do that doesn't mean you _will _do something," he replied simply. "I've noticed how…attached you've become since the past week with her."

"I'm not attached." He clipped. "It's either I speak to her or kill her. Ignoring her is a feat I can't perform; you don't understand just how difficult that is for me." He stated.

"I know that but just talking to her doesn't work that way when it comes to her mingling with you. Everyone else doesn't think you're just talking because frankly Sasuke you don't _just _talk. They will try to take her down either at school or otherwise."

Sasuke glared at the moon as he gripped the phone with rage trying his best not to shatter it. "What are you saying Nara?"

"I'm saying it's either you make her your girlfriend, protect her while you figure this out or ignore her." he stated. "Our world isn't the only one that has monsters, humans can hurt her too. Tami will try things to get rid of her if she feels threatened."

"She can handle herself,"

"You have got to be shitting me. If your current girl friend finds out about the constant interaction between the both of you during classes she will rip Sakura to shreds. If you're not going to take it now, don't put her in danger."

"Why so caring?" Sasuke demanded.

"Because I like her if that isn't obvious enough; we all do." he stated. "Don't be a complete dick Uchiha." He stated.

Sasuke sighed and hung the phone up feeling her invade all his senses. He walked down the side walk, stopped and with anger and frustration fist the wall. The sound was loud, breaking through the wall, shattering pieces everywhere. He retracted his hand and shook it off. This girl was just an absolute disaster in his life; she just sprung out of fucking nowhere to ruin his life.

He wanted her gone, he wanted her destroyed. It sounded so easy, take her soul then take his own. It seemed logical because he wanted her dead, vanished and out of his life. However it wasn't because at the same time he wanted her here. At the same time he did not want her to die, he did not want her hurt and he wanted her around him at all time. He sent his fist flying into another part of the wall, breaking through it again. He growled with anger.

Where did she come from? They told him they had killed her before he was born and a Gardien D'âme for the same demon _could not _be born twice. Even if they had not killed her, she should be _dead_. Her scent followed and haunted him and it was almost as though no matter how much he ate and fed himself, if he did not have her he was incapable of being full. What was she doing to him? His eyes flared its crimson sin, spiraling out of control as anger and frustration rose inside of him. She was taking control of him.

**~O~**

Sakura sat down in the office of her new therapist, physiologist or whatever the heck she really was. The woman smiled at her and took a seat. She had very pale skin, black straight hair and sapphire eyes. She took up a pen and a notepad and placed it on her lap then looked at Sakura.

The air was filled and became thick with uncomfortable silence. The new environment set her in an uneasy state.

"Alright, don't be afraid I can tell that you are. I can see that you really don't want to be here right now, but I promise it is not as bad as you think it is." She said smoothly.

The office was clean and spacious. White walls, gray cushioned couches and the sun shining through giving the room a warm and nice glow. She had walls of books, her desk and papers stacked neatly. There was one glass wall, it was behind where the woman sat and Sakura could see outside and the tress and the beautiful morning blue sky. Her office was very nice and big but that didn't make Sakura feel any more comfortable. She still really wished she didn't have to come.

The office was too clean; it was too white and too spacious. The air was too fresh and the feeling of materialism without achieving that home feeling it was going for. She nodded at the woman as she looked at her hands in her lap.

"Alright, how about we start off friendly? We have time; we'll be taking a gradual, smooth process. In this, I am your friend and not just a worker. I'm not just someone who is doing a job and is getting paid to do this which is the only reason I am here. That is not who I am, I am a friend of yours and a confederate. I'm Sayouku Changlin and you'll be seeing my face for a very long time, you'll probably get bored of the monotony soon enough. How about you tell me about you?"

Sakura smiled. "Sakura Haruno and I'm 17." she said kindly.

Sayouku nodded. "Alright, from your last doctor I got all the notes and her observations. I've read over everything that had been done, evaluated, observed and the like over all your visits with her. For me, and what Tsunade really also wants, she did not really spend much time on your perspective and mental state. The view you have on life, things, society, and your opinion on yourself and others around you, how you perceive things is very vague.

"She had focused more on the building blocks of your emotions -which I don't have a problem with because that is indeed important- but not enough on your mental state and conformity, acceptance and metamorphosis from when your life was 'normal' –if I may use that term- to when it changed and things became different. She had not evaluated that enough and your mental state and health is frankly extremely important and cannot be taken lightly. So, over the course of our visits, that's what I will be working on most of the time." she explained. "Now, this office is your office. Make yourself at home, walk about, read the books and look at the scene. Anything to make you feel more at ease here. I know that you're not used to me and it is going to take some time for you to open up to me, but we'll be taking everything very slow. Alright?" she asked kindly.

Sakura nodded because she had no idea what to really say. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to go back home or her new version thereof and do something else. She didn't want to talk to anyone about her life or her struggles, it wasn't important and Tsunade was worrying too much about her. However, she had promised that she was going to be a good girl, be respectful as always and try her best to cooperate and she was not going to go back on her promise.

She was going to try no matter how hard it was to give this woman all the information she needed to come up to a conclusion and ease Tsunade's mind. Sakura didn't like the idea of having the doctor worry about it, she felt ashamed with herself for even doing it in the first place.

"Alright Sakura, how about we start?" she asked.

Sakura nodded again.

"Tell me, when you wake up in the morning what is the first thing you do? What is really the first thing that you feel and that you think? And why is the first thing you do, feel and think?" she asked.

Sakura looked at her hands and took a small breath. She was going to be honest, open minded and cooperate, she promised…she promised.

_I really don't think you should do this._

_But we promised we were going to and we are. We can't have Tsunade-sama wasting her money to send me here, if I'm only going to cause more problems. That's not fair. _Sakura said

_Alright, fine… just don't expect to hear from me while this is going on. _

She took another breath and started talking: "The first thing I do when I wake up is feel disappointment, sadness and sorrow that my eyes opened, that I woke up, that I'm here another day. I know it sounds selfish but I feel like a freeloader when I wake up, I feel like I shouldn't have been one of the many people to wake up but I smile. Whether I wanted to wake up or not, I did and I should be thankful for that. Even if you don't think you deserve something, if you're still given it you should be grateful because well, you didn't _have _to get it. I always think that the night before when I close my eyes they will be closing for the last time. I feel appreciation that the Creator found it fit to let me see another day even though I know that other people didn't get to see it and that I didn't even deserve to wake up in the first place. when you know that you really shouldn't have woken up but you did, it's something to be grateful for and that is something to smile about. It's all conflicting... I'm all conflicting." Sakura explained.

Sayouku nodded and thought for a moment. "And you think this every morning?" she asked.

Sakura nodded. "Yes I do,"

"You said that you really don't think you should have woken up when you do, explain that to me as best as you can."

Sakura thought for a moment as she looked around. "No, I don't think that I should wake up even though I do. It's just that I am not someone that should be a part of the bigger picture of life, eliminating me would really be insignificant to the world but I think it would be almost better in relations to the people that I know. I don't do anything for other people and I do very bad things to people that make them dislike me all the time. Sometimes I don't know what I have done but I know I must have done something, don't you think? People just don't get up and hate other people like that. I must have done something and I burden so many people. Why should I wake up if all I am able to do is burden people and make their existence that much harder because of my very own? I am a problem, to a lot of people and people say things which I have done to them and I don't like doing bad things to people. I try to be a good person but really I'm not.

"Good people don't need a bad person like me, a selfish person like me around them, it's unfair. It's my fault that I do a lot of things and that a lot of things happen to me, it is my fault but I never stop it or change it which makes me a horrible person. I know I'm doing something wrong yet I do it anyways. My intentions seem good to me, but bad to other people and other people… it affects them. They deserve to wake up but I know that I don't, good people deserve to wake up."

"And you don't believe that you're a good person?"

"No I'm not and other people think so too. A lot of other people say it, that I am a bad and horrible person and that I do a lot of things for my own selfish reasons and it's true because it's all my fault." She whispered her voice low and wavering… she was on the brink of tears.

She nodded. "Alright, from what I've read about some past events in your life I can start adding up just a few pieces. Tell me, who do you live with?"

"I live with my aunt and her daughter."

"Yes, so why not with your father? Tell me what is stopping you from living with him instead, what is really going on between the both of you? Tell me what you think about everything, the situation between the both of you. What is your perspective on the relationship that the both of you have and do you think it's justified? What do you really think about it Sakura?"

"I don't know what to think about it. I don't live with him because he doesn't like me and he does all he can to get rid of me and I always come back and I shouldn't. I'm going somewhere I am not wanted, why should I do that? Why do I keep doing that? Sometimes, well most times, I never want to go back or anything but I just never had any other choice. I had nowhere else to go. I wanted to get away and he wanted me away anyways, it was best. I think that he has a right not to like me and it is my fault that we are like this now, because we weren't like this before.

"It's very complicated and I keep thinking to myself, I have never lied and I have never done anything but maybe I have lied and done something but my mind just doesn't want to recognize it as a lie. Did you know that as long as you think something is real, when other people tell you it's not you can't believe them? It's because it's already in your mind set that, that one thing is true and as long as your mind thinks it is –whether in reality it is or not- then you're always going to believe it. I think that's how my mind works, yet _I know_ I'm doing something but because I don't want to _acknowledge it_ I still can't find out what's the wrong that I have done. If that makes any sense to you at all,"

"So you do think that you have really done something to make the relationship this way it's just oblivious to you since your mind already has it set that you have done nothing?"

"Yes that is what I think." She replied tenderly.

"And you've been thinking this way or having this perspective for how long now?"

"I don't know, about around the time my mother was leaving and they were fighting and arguing, trying to get custody over me and ever thing." She explained.

"So you have always thought the relationship as it progressed to the stage that it is at now, is your fault and that, you did the right thing by leaving?"

"Yes. I was making him unhappy, he never wanted to see me and I think that leaving was the best thing and I wasn't happy with him either not that I should really count my happiness as a part of my actions."

She nodded and shifted. "Right then let me ask you this. Were you ever afraid?"

Sakura smiled. It was more like a ghost of a smile, a haunting smile, a hollow smile. Her smile was a sick, knowing smile. A 'you have no idea' kind of smile. "I am always afraid, all the time of everyday. There is fear even in places it shouldn't be. I am afraid of everything everywhere. "

"So with the relationship between your father and yourself while you were living together you were indeed afraid?"

"Yes,"

"I would like you to tell me about that, explain me the train of thoughts pertaining to that. You are free to be as vague as you like in your relations i.e examples if you don't wish to revisit those horrible experiences just as yet."

"I was always afraid. I was afraid to be at home, to walk around…I was afraid of everything. He made it feel like he was everywhere, like no matter where I went I could never, ever be away from his haunting presence. I was –well am- afraid of the world, going anywhere at all. I deserve it because he must have a reason behind doing what he does to me. He says it is my fault which must mean that it truly is. That must mean then that I must have done something wrong in the first place though I fail to recognize it. Knowing that I do deserve it doesn't make me less afraid to sleep at night, to wake up in the morning, to come home late or to get sick, to eat his food because that might be my last meal because he wants it to be. I know it's not making any sense, I'm contradicting myself," she mumbled fumbling with her hands.

"Don't worry about that, I'm following you just fine. Don't think about that when you're speaking to me. Don't wonder if I understand or not, just talk, express and explain as best as you can I will handle it from there." she said with a smile. "Do you think your father is a bad person? Do you love him?"

"I try to understand. There is a reason behind everything, I am the villain, I am the bad person. I don't think he is a bad person. He is my father, I am from him and so I love him. He is family, the only one I can even partially relate to. It's not as bad as you think, we did talk once in a while, sometimes but it was just so hard because he couldn't bare me, he couldn't stomach my presence sometimes. It was hard knowing that I was forced to stay some where I was not wanted but I had no choice. He is my father and the only one I have, he placed a roof over my head for many years and I cannot refuse to appreciate that."

She nodded. "And that is what you think? The fact that he is your father is a solid justification that you must love him?"

"Yes it is,"

"You said that you are always the villain, you are always the bad person all the time. Do you believe that the other person could be the villain and you are the victim?"

"I've never thought about that because it never seemed to be the right answer. People hate me because I exist, because I have done something and they let me know they hate me. I don't know… I have never had friends before except for Ino. I don't know how to interact with people and I am very afraid because I think if I don't associate with people I won't burden them and then that means I won't be a bad person or a bad influence in their lives."

"Have you met people to prove this? Give me a solid piece of evidence that justifies that thought you have Sakura."

"I don't know who I am supposed to talk to and who I am not supposed to because I don't associate much. It was back in my old home at school. There was new girl, her name was Chikori Sustanai. I tried to speak to her but her cousin hated me for it, she beat me up and told me not to talk to her or any of her friends. That was a bad thing, I should have known that I wasn't supposed to talk to her but I did not which makes it my fault. Talking to one person might be bad because their friends don't want you talking to them because they know you are a bad person." She explained.

She nodded. She took up the pen and note pad and for about ten minutes she sat there writing, asking Sakura to speak as she scribbled. They had a long session where she wrote down everything she thought was important.

She didn't know what to expect Sakura to be. She had suspected depressed, traumatized and a downer. Afraid to trust with high bars around the heart, insecurities and that was about it. She didn't expect this. She didn't expect a girl with this train of thought. This…specific outlook on life that was not healthy for her as a person, it would lead to danger if she continued to think the way she did. She didn't expect someone with the warped way of thinking, this disillusioned look on life. She didn't expect a girl at this age to have such a childlike train of thought.

~O~

Tami's sapphire eyes flared as her manicured hands balled into a tight fist. She took a deep breath and forced herself to smile and calm down. She felt her body slightly shaking.

"I'm sorry _what?"_ she asked the female standing in front of her. "_What _did you say happened?" she asked again.

She couldn't ruin her beautiful face with this amount of anger unless the news was solid and justified her anger. She couldn't over-react, she knew Sasuke didn't like that and the last thing she wanted to do was pounce when she had no right to. She knew how he could get.

Hanabi sighed and rolled her eyes. "Aren't you going to do something about her?" She clipped.

Tami glared. "Why am I just hearing about this? Why am I finding out _days after?" _she seethed taking deep breaths.

"Well I thought you knew already, when I saw that school dismissed over and over again and you didn't confront her I knew something was wrong." Hanabi nodded.

"And what did you say she did again?"

"I already told you,"

"Repeat it!" she snapped.

It was hard for her to keep calm. She knew the moment she became Sasuke's girlfriend she would be paying hell for it since all the other girls would try harder to get to him. She couldn't let that happen, wouldn't let something like that happen. He was the best thing to ever happen to her and she would rather die than have someone take him away from her, especially some new kid.

"I need to make sure I get it right." She explained.

Hanabi sighed. "The other day in class we were paired up. I got paired with her; she obviously doesn't like me and asked for a new partner. She pressed and insisted to be partnered with Sasuke and even though Miss Leela didn't want to she wouldn't stop insisting saying it was unfair that they didn't have to partner up, she got upset and just did it. Sasuke didn't want her there; I mean you know how he is. Then every day after that, in like every fucking class she sits where they are and babbles all the time!"

Tami growled, turned and started storming down the corridor. "Fuck NO! Where is she?" she almost screamed. One week, the bitch had been at her school one fucking week!

How dare this new girl come to her school and try to take her boyfriend away from her? What gave her that right to even try such a thing when she didn't even fit in yet? Her eyes flared as anger took her by the throat.

Tami was a jealous person, if anyone knew anything about her it was that. She was a territorial woman when it came to someone she really liked, when it came to something that belonged to her she saw it simply as what it was; _hers_ _and no one else's. _

Her heels clicked as her body moved; as she modeled down the corridor, turning and pushing people out of the way. She stopped abruptly as she saw the nasty flash of pink hair as a locker opened. Her sneered, anger washed over her pretty face and she swore she heard herself growl.

She took a deep breath and moved her body languid and sensual without her even putting effort into it. She stood behind the girl and harshly tapped her shoulder. Sakura jumped, yelped and turned, coming face to face with the wrath of Tami Montenegro.

Tami forced a smile. "Sakura is it?" she sneered.

Sakura looked up, her emerald eyes almost surprised. She stumbled back when Tami stepped closer, pressing herself on the locker door. She opened her mouth but nothing came out so she settled for nodding.

Tami clicked her mouth and nodded. "I thought so. What's this I hear about you talking to my boyfriend all fucking week? You have the audacity to demand his attention, who taught you something like that?" she sneered as her eyes raked over her attire.

Sakura looked up at her and the disgust in the pretty girls' eyes; the utter look of someone seeing someone repulsive. She knew that look; she knew that look so well she felt her heart begin to break and her chest tighten. She didn't know what to say to her. She shook her head since it was hard for her to find words.

"What don't you have something to say? I'm talking to you slut."

Sakura cast her eyes down, deeply hurt but the sudden lash out. "I-I-don't know what you're t-talking a-about." She stuttered, taking deep breaths. It was starting to feel like the amount of oxygen in the world was decreasing. She pressed her weight onto the locker.

People walking the halls had already stopped, looking at the drama that was unfolding in front of them. Tami was showing her rage; Tami was showing what happened when she was upset.

Tami glared. "Look at me when I'm talking to you. Who the fuck told you that you could talk to my boyfriend? After that stupid stunt you pulled the other day to get that series of attention I already don't like you bitch." Tami sneered. "_I said to look at me when I talk you!" _

Sakura's head snapped up, her eyes glazed with tears as she breathing deeply. She seemed to shrink beneath Tami. Her eyes were opened in horror and she realized what was happening to her. Pain rammed into her ribs more tears built in her eyes.

Tami glared intensified. "Oh so after throwing yourself at my boyfriend on more than one occasion over the past week you're suddenly shy?" anger boiled in her, her face pink. Her hand rose, she couldn't stop herself, she felt to hit her and she was going to. "This should teach you."

Sakura shrunk back as she saw the hand coming her way. She clasped her mouth shut and closed her eyes tight, silent tears escaping. She was ready, and she waited but it never came. Her eyes opened when there was a scream-Tami. Her eyes widened as she saw Sasuke standing in front of her, his hand gripping Tami's wrist effortlessly. He stared at her, his face blank. His shoulders were so broad, his stance so strong and manly.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, his hold on her wrist tightened. She screamed.

"Sasuke let go!" she yelled. "It hurts, stop!"

He looked over his shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

Ino voice was heard. "MOVE!" she barked pushing through the wad of people surrounding the scene unfolding before them.

Sakura couldn't answer and she certainly could not breathe anymore. She was wheezing. Her heart was racing, it was beating too fast and still enough air wasn't coming in. Ino bumped Tami and Sasuke aside and took Sakura's hand. Her head was shaking as she pointed to her throat as she started to panic. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't breathe. The air was shutting off; her throat was getting tight as the pain increased. Her chest brunt with flames; tearing apart. Her hand gripped her chest as the tears started rushing down her face.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke asked releasing Tami's hand. The hall was packed by this time.

She was having an attack.

_No Sakura not here, not now. You have to calm down. _

_I can't breathe! _

"Do you have a pump or something?" Ino asked almost instantly.

Sakura shook her head vigorously. She had left it at home in her bathroom in the cabinet. She hadn't thought she'd need it or anything. She needed to get to the hospital; a pump couldn't help her now.

The world started to spin around her as she began to suffocate. The world seemed to be looping around her, twisting and turning, throbbing in her ears as she heard her panicked heart. He looked at her and waited a split second. She fell to her knees and without consent his body went into motion; moving as though it had a mind of its own.

He knelt down, scooped her up and nodded at Ino. He turned, cursing himself to hell. His eyes connecting with Tami's for a split second before he headed out, down the steps and to his car. He ignored Tami's high pitched voice and her shriek of utter rage and dissatisfaction in how the series of events had turned out. He placed her in the back seat before he went to the driver's seat, backed out of the school and headed for the hospital. He broke the speed limit not that he always obeyed it as he sped to the hospital. He screeched to a halt, took her out and moved swiftly inside the hospital.

Nurses crowed him, took her body from him and vanished. He closed his eyes and focused on her. He felt something almost panic when he heard her heart pause longer than it should have. He sat down, entangled his fingers as his elbows rested on his knees and like any other person would do, he waited.

Nurses seemed to move in slow motion, staring at him, ogling with throbbing hearts in their eyes. They were of course not allowed to flirt, take pictures or ask for autographs from any one famous. It was policy to try and keep a professional environment.

A woman walked up to him and smiled. Her cheeks flushed her voice luring. "Is there anything we can get you?"

Sasuke cast his eyes up at her without interest. "No there is not," he replied icily.

"Are you positive? I'm sure there is _something _I can do." she insisted.

"Flirting with me will get you nowhere." he stated blankly looking up at her. "Unless you have something to say to me about the girl I brought in here speaking with me is unnecessary." He told her his eyes dark.

The rejection stung her and she nodded before turning away, stopping at a nurse and gushing. Sasuke rolled his eyes in disgust as he heard the argument. Oh she just had a conversation with Sasuke Uchiha and he totally wanted her number. It was sickening, like he would ask such a close minded, common woman for her number.

He sat there, his eyes cast down on the white tiled floor as he waited. He ignored the nurses on break huddled together congregating about him, how handsome and attractive he looked. He felt uneasy as he focused, listening to her erotic heart beat.

He couldn't help but wonder what in god's name was wrong with her. Did she have asthma? He sat there for an estimated forty minutes waiting impatiently, ignoring his phone, his pagers and the calls sent to him from his band members.

Smooth footsteps moved towards him and his head rose. He saw the nurse, dark brown hair and a decent bust size shuffle to his spot. Her cheeks were red, her heart was beating fast and her eyes held suppressed hearts. She cleared her throat.

"Are you the one who brought-" she looked at her clip board. "Sakura Haruno in?" she asked. He nodded. She smiled and coughed.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

"Well, she is now. Her heart rate and breathing has been brought under control and we've given her something to help her with the sudden asthma attack. She's practically perfectly fine now, probably just needs to take it easy right now. Would you like to see her and probably speak to the nurse inside?" she asked flirtatiously.

He nodded and rose. She stepped back, her eyes now popping with hearts. Yes he was tall, broad shouldered, lean and toned. Yes, he was but damnit he wasn't here for people to notice that about him.

"Uh, right this way," she said heading down the hall.

He followed her silently. She opened the door and Sakura was sitting on the hospital bed with a drip on in her right arm. A nurse was speaking to her as she gently took out the needle. The woman looked up and her eyes bulged as she saw Sasuke.

Sakura sat there rubbing her arm where the needle was. Sasuke went and stood at the side of the bed; he folded his arms and looked down at her. The course of his day.

"Uh, Miruru," the first nurse said, "he brought her in," she explained.

"Oh," she said, "Oh!"

Sasuke looked at the woman frankly as he ran his tongue over his molars. He stood there, arms folded and waited. Obviously he was waiting for the woman to speak and tell him what was going to happen next. He wasn't the least bit interested in what they had to say about him and his fame. The woman –Miruru- blinked and smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, she's fine now. I think it would be best if she went home and got some rest." She stated. "You've been putting strain on your body Sakura."

"Can't I go back to school?" she rasped looking up at the woman.

Sasuke bit the insides of his jaw. He had the sudden urge to almost yell at her a moment ago. Why would she want to go back to school after what has happened to her? What was her problem? She needed to go home and rest.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Do you want to go back?" the woman asked kindly.

"I would really like to," Sakura said.

Sasuke glared. She was struggling to speak; the nurse was not really considering letting her go to school was she?

"I still don't think it's such a good idea. You would need someone to at least hover over you for the day and make sure you get home safely."

"I could do that," he wanted to stab himself. Where did that come from? What the hell was that just now? Why did he just do that…it was almost like an impulse. He was setting himself up without his fucking consent.

He was beginning to regret saving her from the wrath of Tami. He should have just ignored it and gone about his business and as much as he had wanted to he just could not have brought himself to do it. He couldn't just walk away and let his girlfriend slap her into next week.

The woman looked at him. "Are you sure you could do that? I'm sure you have other things you have to attend to and I don't want you to feel responsible for her if you do not want to be." She stated her heart hammering.

"I can do it," he stated apathetically.

She looked at Sakura. "You know with her and how she is so-" Sakura grasped her arm, stopping her mid sentence. She looked at the woman, the kind of look that simply asked her not to say anything about what was wrong with her. The woman looked up at Sasuke then back at her hesitantly. "…and how she is so weak and fragile, I don't think it's such a good idea." She improvised.

His eyes narrowed.

"Can I go please?" Sakura begged.

"Tsunade is going to have my head if she finds out that I let you go back to school. I sure hope he looks after you and you _must _take your medication. If Tsunade finds out you haven't been taking _it _she is going to kill you and then she is going to come and kill me." she stated.

Sakura nodded. "I'm sorry. I will take them, I promise." She insisted.

The woman fought with inner battles before she nodded. "Go before I change my mind," she said closing her eyes and looking the other way.

Sakura smiled widely and looked at Sasuke for a split second before she scampered out the bed. She wobbled to her feet and his hand slid around her waist automatically to help her with her balance.

They walked out of the hospital and he buckled her into the front of his car. She felt so awkward being in his distant presence. She didn't know what to say to him or even how to say it. It was not like they were practically friends or anything, he still made it clear that he didn't like her to all that. They talked but she could hardly call it talking then again. She placed her hands in her lap and looked at it as he got into the car and started the engine.

She glanced up at him before looking out the window. "Thank you ve-"

"Could you enlighten me as to why you decided to go back to school?" he cut her off blankly zooming down the high way. With the windows up, tinted he turned the air condition on and placed it on low.

"Uh…well…" she smiled. "I feel fine,"

"You certainly could have fooled me." he said flatly. "She did not hurt you did she?"

She shook her head, her voice low and strained. "No, she didn't. I'm- I'm very sorry for what I have done."

"You have not done anything, don't be stupid." Sasuke stated. "She'll get over herself."

"I honestly didn't know that I was being rude to your girlfriend. We hardly even speak seeing that you don't particularly like me. I feel really bad for doing something like that,"

"There you go being stupid." He said lightly stopping at a stop light. "If you know you have not done anything, apologizing is a waste of time."

She nodded and looked out the window. They drove in silence and he spent the whole time grinding his teeth. It was difficult to associate with her yet for some reason it seemed almost instinct to do so. Denying ones instinct was dreadfully hard to do.

"Uh, you didn't have to agree to do what you did." She stated. "Thank you very much."

He grunted.

She looked down.

He shifted in his seat.

Her fingers untwined then twined themselves together again.

He looked at her through the side of his eye for a moment.

She shifted uncomfortably.

His insides growled. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

She shifted again.

He groaned. "Go ahead and say it,"

"I had no idea she was your girlfriend and she just came out of nowhere, she frightened me I didn't know what to do. Maybe I should have walked away or something but I just stood there, I really don't want to get in between relationship especially with someone like her. She should already know that I didn't even know you were famous, I hardly even know what you're really that famous for and I mean, you already don't like me and we don't talk at all. She just came at me out of nowhere," she blew out a deep and shaky breath. "I am so, so sorry."

He bit his bottom lip but the chuckle forced its way out. He glanced at her. "My girlfriend scares you?" he asked as he broke out into a series of chuckles. "That strangely doesn't surprise me," he stated. "A lot of things seem to scare you."

"She almost hit me," she objected innocently.

"Almost being the key word." He pointed out.

"She certainly could have and if she did what could I do? What have I even done?"

"Existing is enough," he replied, "would you relax a little?" he asked

"Thank you for doing everything that you have for me. It means a lot."

He grunted. She was so…innocent it was irritating him. She seemed so bloody sheltered. He glanced at her; she was looking at her hands, her face all serene.

"Sakura,"

Her head snapped up. "Yes?" she asked softly.

Shikamaru was right, it was either make a decision from afar or make it up close. There was nothing in between. Doing this, taking her to the hospital was him deciding anything that was going to happen from here on out was going to happen up close. He hated to admit it, so much at this point but it would make no difference.

She wasn't a bad person and to most of the girls he knew he honestly preferred her.

"Does that happen often?" he inquired.

She paused, looked at her hands and smiled. "No it doesn't, it's rare."

He nodded. He didn't believe her, he knew better considering how horrible of a liar she really was. "And you're not afraid of me anymore?" he asked curiously.

Her smile widened. "You technically saved my life I am grateful to you for that. You're being nice to me, which also means a lot,"

He made a face of disgust. "You've noticed."

"You're not mean," she stated matter of factly.

"Not because I saved you're life means I'm an Angel." He stated. "Don't be deluded. I'm not being a dick to you because it's too much work. You're annoyingly nice attitude has won favor in my system."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"It makes me want to vomit out my life force." He stated.

She laughed as her cheeks heated. "It must take a lot to seep into your system."

He glared at her mockery as she laughed. He leaned over, pulled out a CD, popped it in and turned it on. **Valentine's Day **began to play. She looked at him, her eyes popping out of her head and he smirked.

He was going to have to make it clear to Tami that Sakura was now a … friend of the band and she was just going to have deal with it.

"That's you?"

"I'm surprised too." he commented. "Seeing that you've met us it's only fair you know what we sound like or rather, what I sound like." He stated logically. "Do you like it?"

"You're amazing…you're voice is like magic." she said as she smiled looking at him.

He smirked solemnly as he drove into the school's parking lot and parked the car. "Look," he stated shutting off the engine. "I could take you home if you want." He stated.

She shook her head and smiled. "It's okay I rather be at school."

He nodded and came out of the car. She came out and he closed the door. He pushed the keys in his black jeans pocket. He motioned his hand in front of him telling her to walk ahead of him. She nodded and started walking. They made it into the school, to the office where they collected their slips. He walked her to her locker where she got her books and they walked in silence to their next class. They had already missed lunch and only had two more classes left making up three sessions.

Sasuke couldn't understand why she would like to come back to school with only three more sessions left. If it was any other girl they would have totally wanted to go home and spend the rest of their day idling. She was so nice he couldn't help that it was all an act she was putting on but if it was he would have already known. He watched as she took her head of hair and dropped it over her right shoulder. His eyes seemed to freeze on her neck.

"What is that?"

She looked up at him. "What?" she asked.

His eyes moved to her neck. Her hand flew to it and she looked at her fingertips. She quickly pulled her hair over her left shoulder hiding the deep scar. "It's something I got a long time ago, I thought I had it covered." She replied with a smile.

"How did you get it?" he asked simply.

"I fell through a window a few years ago," she stated. "I'm not the most coordinated person." She said sheepishly.

They paused at the room door, they had math at this time. He pulled open the door and the both of them walked in. Heads turned simultaneously to look at the two intruders then whispers followed. Jaws seemed to drop and people seemed to be over dramatic when they gasped. A girl, Hanabi was standing at the board doing an equation. When she turned her mouth fell open before she fainted, hitting the floor like a ton of bricks.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, took the slip from Sakura's and handed it to Delilah.

"I see we're being respectful this time around Sasuke," she stated with a smirk. "Someone get Ms. Drama Queen to the nurse!"

He shrugged and headed to his seat. He looked back at Sakura. "Coming?" he asked in a dead panned voice.

She looked up at Delilah who looked at her sternly. "You heard him, are you going to stand there and stop my class or are you going to follow him and take a seat?" she asked.

A look of relief graced her face as she stumbled to her seat right behind Sasuke. That was the second time in two weeks that was being tardy. She knew how Delilah was, she was a hard woman, and she thought the note would be enough for Sasuke but not enough for her. She was wondering if something else was going to happen to her. As she walked down to her seat her eyes connected with the worried ones of Ino's. She nodded simply; she was fine and even if she wasn't, Ino was worrying too much. She sat down and pulled out her books.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked instantly turning around. "Your pretty friend told me what happened. His girl friend is a complete bitch right? I can't believe the slut actually did that!" he said quickly as his hands dropped on her shoulders looking for any marks. He glared at Sasuke. "She's not saying anything! Teme what did you do to her? You didn't hurt her did you? You know you're such a asshloe if you actually-"

"Dobe shut the fuck up," Sasuke said irritated. "Give her some space would you?"

He looked back at her, Sakura sat there completely still almost gapping at him. "Naruto…are you feeling ok?" she asked carefully.

He sighed in relief. "Oh thank god you're fine! I was freaking out! Freaking out I tell you!" he emphasized.

She blushed. "I'm fine…you can let go now." she said. "You're crushing my shoulders."

"Oh right, sorry," he blushed. "I just thought-"

"I'm fine Naruto, thank you for asking." She said nicely. "It so sweet that you worried,"

"It is isn't it?" he said like a big shot.

Shikamaru groaned. "Oh please, Sakura don't believe his bullshit." He said. "He's just an idiot."

"She doesn't think that!" Naruto objected pouting. "You don't think that right Sakura-Chan?"

"Of course not," she said instantly. "I think you're pretty darn smart."

His ego grew before their very eyes.

Neji scoffed. "Yeah right, don't lie to him."

Sakura looked at Neji. She fumbled. "Could I ask you something because I have a question for you?"

He eyed her. "Oh do you now?"

"Yes,"

"Ask whatever you like," he said respectfully slightly amused.

"Why do your eyes look like that?"

He smiled politely. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." he stated. "And you're far too sweet to kill." He stated.

She flushed.

"Aaaaanyways," Naruto said cutting in, "what happened?" he demanded.

"I just fainted, that's all." She replied her eyes darting around.

Sasuke looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She had just lied.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

She grinned. "Yes I am, don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. Please don't worry about me," she said tenderly.

His eyes narrowed ahead of him. Was this really the way she was all the time? The more he observed the more interesting she seemed to him. She just…didn't say anything. Was it actually possible to find someone in this world selfless to such a great extent? When Naruto turned around in his seat after Delilah barked after him her head hung down, her hair falling about her face. She didn't push them away and he noticed a white rain drop hit the top of her desk. He felt a part of him melt, summer sun beaming down on his winter ice block melting it away. She was hurting.

_**So there you guys go! I placed two chapters in this one so that's why it's so long, I thought it was unfair to give a short one so I just the next chapter in it too Hope you guys like it! I'm pretty sure there are grammatical errors, but I'm being my own editor and shit so…if you could like just try to look past the run-on-sentences and stuff lol I mean, if you can't look past them I get that too but I'm working on trying get this chapters up fast so just bare with me.**_

_**PS: Y'all can tell that Sakura has some seriously conflicting issues can't you? I'm having trouble bringing that out without being all confusing but I hope we can get a glimpse of how... contradicting she is.**_

_**Endless Love**_

_**D.V**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Twelve}**

There was a knock on her room door; it was hard and harsh. She stirred, her eyelids heavy like building bricks. The knocks were incessant, louder each time. Her eyes opened and half asleep, tired form the long day she jay walked to the room door. She grasped the knob and opened the door, leaning on the frame instantly to keep her body up right. Atona pushed Sakura from the door and stepped right in. Sakura stumbled back slightly.

Atona stopped in the middle of the room, crossed her arm and looked at Sakura, her lips pressed into a thin grim line. It wasn't very attractive.

"What did I tell you? It's as though possibly I was talking to a wall the last time." she said.

Sakura rubbed her eyes and stared obliviously. She had no idea what Atona was talking about. She glanced at the time on the clock. It wasn't late as in time for her to really be asleep it was a little bit after nine. From the moment Sakura reached home, she had staggered to her room, taken all her pills and practically went unconscious in her bed. She arrived home so tired it was unexplainable. Even with the asthma attack she had today still didn't explain how drained she felt.

"I thought I made it clear to you that you are rocking my base or did you forget you're living in my house?" she asked.

"I…what…" she took a deep breath, centered herself and tried not to slur because truth be told, she was still in sleep mode. "What…are you t-talking about?"

"Since you got here you've just been nabbing on them like you know what you're getting into. I think you don't understand me and how I am when I don't get what I want. I already don't fucking like you and you are making me want to do things to you that you wouldn't believe. You do not want Atona as an enemy," she seethed power strutting over to Sakura.

She backed up on the wall. "I'm sorry?" she slurred trying to blink the powerful force of sleep away.

"No 'sorry' is not what I am looking for. I don't want you here and if you make me unhappy I will make your life a living hell, you'll wish you were staying with your father wherever the fuck he is. They don't fucking want you around them and neither do I! I hate attention hogging whores like you too who pretend to have problems just to get them to notice you, I'm telling you this for the last time, don't mess with them." She glared. She took a handful of Sakura's collar. "don't, mess with them,"

"I won't," she squeaked.

"You better fucking not. As president of the Sasuke Fan Club you must not be in my way because if you are pinkie I will run you over with a fucking bulldozer and back a train over you. I control what happens, who they talk to around at school and don't. Know your place slut before I make you," she said before chucking Sakura away. Her eyes, passionate eyes, cut wounds into Sakura before she stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut as she did so with rage.

Sakura stood there. She was stuck between a rock and hard place. She didn't want to get into any altercation with anyone yet for some reason that was all she seemed to be doing. She slid to the floor and crossed her legs. She was already an issue and no one would believe that she was trying not to be. It was always best that she didn't talk to anyone. She knew it was better if she stayed that way. She rocked herself, slowly at first…idly at first until the strangest thing started to happen to her.

Atona's words floated around her in italics: _you'll wish you were staying with your father wherever the fuck he is. _

She started rocking faster suddenlyfeeling like the world was closing in around her, like the ceiling was coming down and crushing her. The air in her throat hitched for a second and the migraine crept up on her like a thief in the night. It grasped her head hard and it started to feel like her head was being banged into a wall. She didn't want this to happen. She'd already had a bad day…she didn't need this right now. She had taken her medication, what was happening?

_You'll wish you were staying with your father wherever the fuck he is. _

_You'll wish you were staying with your father wherever the fuck he is. _

_**You'll wish you were staying with your father wherever the fuck he is!**_

She sat there, rocking faster and faster, holding her head. Her head felt like it was going to explode, like all her veins were enlarging and clogging. Why was the world always closing down on her and choking her from the inside out? She cried, rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The world was spinning, going around and around so fast; many alternate worlds intertwining with this one as her body drowned and sunk into the floor. The walls started cracking with something black oozing out. Everything was changing with haunting laughter all around the place, floating about all around her.

Her rocking increased as she gripped her hair, pulling at it, her eyes wide with tears streaming down her face. Her head pounded, her sense heightened to the point of insanity. Heads, many heads of her mother started rising from the floor, uprooting. Her eyes were open and she was talking and singing and screaming and crying. The heads were mimicking so many things.

What was happening? Where were all these things coming from? Where was this pain in her head coming from? Where was all this pain coming from, all these things coming from?

"Make it stop! Please! Please! Make it stop!" She begged helplessly.

_Sakura it's not real! _Her inner screamed, trying but failing to calm Sakura down as she freaked out.

_She's everywhere! _

_I can't! It's not real. Sakura listen to me, you need to calm down and relax, this is not real, what you're seeing is not real._

_It hurts! _

The black oozing gunk trickled down the walls, forming puddles that kept moving, zooming in on her, coming closer. She was gasping; the air smelling stink and rancid like something was decaying. The heads came closer, talking and haunting her. Her mothers' head made sticky and uncomfortable sounds as they came closer, chanting and humming at her. Bile rose in her throat and her stomach churned. She felt like she was being closed in and trapped somewhere she really didn't want to be. She was gasping, crawling trying to get away but the door wouldn't open and she collapsed, the heads swallowing her up, the black gunk touching her skin, soaking into her clothes and burning her skin.

"Sakura how you could do that to me? To your own father?" Her mother screamed.

"I loved you so much!" another screamed.

"You're the worse daughter I ever had! How could you betray me?" another sneered.

"Your own flesh and blood!"

"Sakura save me, come and save mommy."

"You know I love you honey, I'm always here all you need to do is come for mommy! I'll protect you!"

"You're a monster! Look at you! Such a whore!"

"You're useless! Worthless! You'll never become anything without me!"

"I'll haunt you every where you fucking go you bitch!"

"You're so weak! A waste of my time!"

"You're such a burden! No one wants you around! Go into a hole and just die! Make the world a better place!"

"Darling don't worry, I'm always here for you whenever you need me, I won't go anywhere I promise. I'll sing to you every night like I used to."

The heads just kept multiplying, all of them talking at the same time and suffocating her. They were moving up her legs and arms, rolling and floating around, the black gunk rising and trying to cover her. It was hot, burning her flesh with the horrible scent making it hard for her to breath. The heads started to vomit all over her, green, orange and pink vomit all over her body. They gagged and choked as they all puked on her while others starting to eat off her flesh. They bit into her and started eating. She squirmed, screamed and wriggled.

"No! No!" she screamed, kicking and kicking with her hands swinging all around. They were biting onto her hair and yanking it, laughing high pitched laughs. The haunting tunes of their voices, the painful nightmare coming to life.

Sakura's body jolted as if she was being electrocuted.

"Sakura!"

Her screams amplified.

"Sakura!" a hand grabbed her, shook her.

"No stop! Please stop!" she shrieked desperately.

Her head was shaking, her skin was burning off and there were so many voices! So many voices, tones and words floating around her with so much screaming and so much noise! Too much noise! Too much of her mother screaming!

"Sakura, look at me, look this way." Hands cupped her face. "Look at me!"

Her head turned her body jolting. She was looking at Rin for just a second until it turned to a corpse, maggots trickling out, the flesh peeling off with the bones every so brittle. It's mouth hang open, dust flying out in a dry, dark and evil laugh. The eye sockets were gone, ashes falling out, spilling out of the mouth as the corpse tried to talk. It screamed, its voice a roar of rancid breath, pelting her face and intoxicating her with fumes. Bile rose in her throat as she screamed, titled her head and vomited. The vomit was so red, burning her throat, burning into the shimmering floor, blending in with the oozing black liquid.

The world! What was happening to the world around her? She turned, still screaming, wriggling and crying; the liquid burning into her flesh, pealing it away. The corpse turned into her father's face and it became too much. This world became too much, the pain both physical and mental became too overwhelming for her and the world went blank.

_**Three hours later…**_

Tsunade sighed, her face creased with troubles. This was new. She looked at Sakura's unconscious body and her face creased even more. She just could not understand how something like that just happened out of nowhere with absolutely nothing to trigger it. From what her aunt told her, it just suddenly happened, completely unexpected. Open ulcers in her stomach had caused her to vomit up blood…so much blood.

She had an attack but the problem was, in all her years Tsunade had never seen Sakura have an attack like this. She didn't know what to make of it. She'd been getting enough sleep, rest, taking her pills and doing well. She held on to one of her lose pony tails and played with it before sighing and leaving the room. This was her second time coming back to the hospital in one day not to mention since they got here. It wasn't a good sign. Things were supposed to get better, not worse. And holy hell, were they getting worse for her. Was it the new environment? Was she home sick?

She shuffled down the hall, her hands stuffed in her white coat pockets. She was thinking hard about this, trying her best to figure out how to deal with it. She paused in front of Rin and the woman stood, her face frightened.

"Oh god is she alright?" she asked nervously shifting from foot to foot.

"We're giving her blood and she's on a few drips and heart monitor. Everything seems fine right now she's just unconscious. Otherwise from that, I honestly don't know what to tell you." she said honestly. "This has never happened to her before."

"Is there anything I can do? Please let me know," she said instantly. "I can't have anything happen to her, she's in my care and I really want her to be alright. Anything at all," she said hurriedly.

Tsunade nodded. "Actually, all you can do right now is just tell me what happened one more time. You don't have to worry about anything, just know that I will make sure that she gets the most suitable treatment and care that she needs. Mentally –I assume you're thinking along that line as I am- we will find out what happened." She said sincerely. Sakura was her daughter too.

She moved her hand in front of her, gesturing for Rin to walk ahead. They headed to Tsunade's office. She turned on her computer, opened word and typed it up. She was writing a report and emailing it to Sakura's Therapist and or psychologist. Her next move –whatever it was- needed to be seen, considered and clarified by her. This situation was better for Mrs. Changlin than it was for her. She looked at the woman, sighed and smiled sadly.

"Alright, go on and run it by me once again as clear as you can." She said.

Rin nodded and thought for a moment. "I had gone out to run some errands. When I came home I expected the house to be silent because you know Sakura is a gem, she literally makes no noise at all when you're in her presence or even when she's about. When I came in there was screaming. I ran to Sakura's room and pulled the door open. She was on the floor having the most frightening attack I've ever seen. I didn't know what to do, I tried to snap her out of it but when I grabbed her she looked at me but she honestly wasn't looking at me. Do you know what I mean? It was like she was seeing something completely different, through me; into some other world. She wasn't seeing me at all, distant away then she just started screaming again, wriggling and writhing then she started to vomit and blacked out. I had no idea what had happened so I called an ambulance," she related.

Tsunade typed it up and sent it. This needed to be assisted before Sakura woke up. By the time she was up Tsunade told herself that she should know exactly what to do and how to go about doing it. She told Rin that she did the right thing and that the hospital would keep her posted and make sure that the best actions for Sakura were taken.

"How long will she be staying here?" she asked gently.

"I can't answer that right now. I suppose she will be staying here until we deem it safe for her to leave. She could wake up and be doing well and before you know it something goes wrong and she has to stay longer. I hate to admit it but it happens a lot with patients like her. I also don't want you to tell her friends or anyone else for that matter about this. Let's just keep it confidential for as long as we can,"

She nodded tears welling in her eyes. "I will make sure I don't tell anyone. I hope everything works out; I really don't want anything to happen to her. She's been here such a short time but I love her so much already. I wouldn't forgive myself if something terrible happened to her."

Tsunade nodded. "I know what you mean," she replied softly as she rose from her seat, took up some files and they headed out the door.

She told Rin to go home, get some rest and not to worry about anything because the hospital had it under control. During the course of two hours she'd been there to check on Sakura three times. She was connected to a heart monitor; a drip giving her blood, an IV drip and a tube connected to her kidney to help get rid of waste. Tsunade shook her head for the fourth time. Sakura always looked like she was never going to make it when her body slipped like the way it had. Her complexion was disturbingly pale with her pink hair lifeless and ashy.

She looked down at her clip board and shuffled out the room. If she continued to worry like she was then the other patients wouldn't be getting the attention that they needed. She also had this hospital to run as best as she could. She was still new to this place and it would take some getting used to.

The phone in her pocket vibrated as another doctor came up to ask her about something regarding a patient. She took out the phone and glanced at the screen.

"Give it to her but just in case split the dose in half. Give her some now and in about the next hour you give the rest," Tsunade said shuffling down the hall as she answered the incessant vibrating phone. "Hello,"

"Tsunade," the pleasant female voice said on the other end.

"Mrs. Changlin," She said in relief. "Thank you for calling me,"

"Of course. I don't feel safe prescribing anything for her until I have spoken with her. When and if I decide that she needs to start taking something it won't be decided as soon as you would like. I need to see her at least two times before I figure that out." She explained.

"That's two weeks," Tsunade stated.

"I know that it is two weeks."

"And what about her at this point?"

"All I can say is don't worry about it right now. I have –from what you have told me- assumed what to expect. More than likely this won't happen for at least another two months if ever again at all. I just don't want to prescribe anything when it is not needed. You did say that the test so far hasn't shown anything that would help you to medically find out how this happened?"

"Not yet, everything so far has been fine." She confirmed.

"And the side effects of the drugs that she has been taking?"

"There is nothing long term within them, moderate proportions as well. Besides, if they had caused this it would have shown in the results I had received."

"Alright, well we will just have to take it one step at a time. For the mental section I cannot prescribe anything and I wouldn't like it if you gave her anything for it either."

"I am more than happy to have you handle that part for me." She said mouthing words to the doctor who had rushed up to her. She glanced over the chart before she jotted down something and sent him away.

"When she wakes up please inform me and watch her reactions and expressions closely."

"I will do that, thank you Mrs. Changlin. I had thought it would be best to move her to the Psychiatric ward when she wakes up until she can see you."

"That would be best, she can be evaluated by others and if you trust them to handle it, by all means Tsunade they certainly can. They are made for this just as much as I am." She said.

"I know that but I don't think when Sakura wakes up she'd be open to speaking about this with someone new. It was trouble enough for me to get her to willingly come to you."

"Ah, that I can understand well enough. It would be best to have here there regardless." She said logically.

"Of course. Thank you very much Changlin but I have to go now."

"I understand." She said. "Have a wonderful night." She said respectfully before the line went dead and she dropped her phone into her pocket.

For the rest of the night Tsunade was up and down the hospital handling so many things at once and multitasking. Her mind was racing as she worked, talked, explained, signed, decided and controlled. Dead beat tired she checked on Sakura one last time before dashing about the place before she went home. This new town was harder to adjust to for her. The expectations and services were higher and more demanding. Everything was amplified and being the head around the place made her name the most called and her presence the most desired while she had many other things on her hand. She hadn't even settled right into her new home as yet. There were still boxes unpacked in her house, furniture still in their plastic wrap and clothes still in suitcases. She had no time to adjust and just get used to the workings and motions of this town. It was more than she expected which proved to be a good and a bad thing at the same time.

Sakura was the last thing on her mind before she went to bed. She couldn't help but worry about that girl. She had embedded herself in Tsunade's heart and she couldn't bear to imagine how she would cope if she really succumbed to the hardships of life. Tsunade loved her like she was her own and that was never going to change. Sakura was Tsunade's daughter and no one could ever tell her different. Sakura was everything to her and without knowing it the only person that could keep her going when she always thought about giving up.

_**And another chapter done! See how I updated fast or kinda fast? Hope this one was alright and that you're not disappointed that there wasn't any Sasuke+Sakura in this one. Don't be mad. **_

_**I also want to thank all those who read this, keep reading this and supporting me. It means a whole lot to me because sometimes I think my story is terrible and I want to stop writing but then I think about you guys and I keep trying. So thank you soooo much all you for sticking it with me! I doubt you guys will truly know how much it means to me. 3 3 3 3! **_

_**Never Ending Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	13. Chapter 13

_Here we are once again! Yay? Anyways, do read and enjoy and I hope you guys are indeed having a wonderful and not so terrible summer! Carry on and read ^.^_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**{Chapter Thirteen}**

It was the fourth day that Sakura Haruno was absent from school. Ino felt it driving her to the brink of insanity. She fidgeted, she shifted, she groaned, shook and tapped her fingers. She was so anxious and worried it was breaking her focus.

She had taken it upon herself to find out what was going on and went to Sakuras' aunts' house. The woman was sweet and polite but extremely vague. All she had said was that Sakura was alright and would be absent for a little while. She had told Ino not to worry about it and that everything would be fine she just needed to wait because Sakura would be back to school soon.

That answer was not good enough! What the fuck did that even mean? The problem could be anything! She wanted to know what was wrong with her best friend. The suspense was heart wrenching and she could not stop herself from worrying into destruction. It had long been programmed in her to lose her damn mind whenever Sakura went MIA without letting her know the reason behind it.

The bell rang and she rose quickly, gathered her things and headed out the door. She had –for a split second- considered waiting on Shikamaru but decided against it just like she had for the starting of this week. She'd just about been avoiding every good damn person on the freaking planet. She felt so depressed without Sakura here, without knowing where she was and if she was alright. She felt like a piece of her was missing. It seemed like betrayal to have any form of fun without her.

She moved down the cluttered hall, pushing past people all around and trying to drown out the bussing noise of voices floating around with laughter and giggles. This week she just wasn't excited about anything like she had been last week.

It had only been three weeks and disaster had already showed its ugly rear end. It was almost like they could not escape it no matter how hard they tried. A smooth hand grasped her forearm. She turned and her eyes widened as she jumped back. Her smile fluttered as her cheeks heated.

"Shikamaru," she said.

"Have you been avoiding me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You've been busy," she said even though she knew it was a lame excuse.

"That's not answering my question. Did I do something?"

"Why would you think something like that?" she asked. "I've just been about the place. Don't you have something important you need to do?"

"And now you're running me?" he asked incredulously. "I've never chased after a woman before," he stated.

She flushed. "Aren't you tired of me yet? I'm sure you have other girls to swoon over you and run after you like a lap dog,"

"Oh come on Ino, you wouldn't even consider for a second doing something remotely close to that. Besides, I hate lap dogs," he smirked.

"Don't you have a girl friend?" she demanded.

"Even if I did, I would still be standing here in front of you and she would be crying somewhere from heart break," He replied.

"You're using lyrics,"

"I'm being honest; I know it sounds pretty cliché." He stated. "How hard are you going to make a famous lazy man work?"

She smiled. "Until he's not lazy anymore. I got to go, I have class." She winked and turned.

"What do you really want?" he called after her.

She bit her lips and turned. "Shikamaru, the famous band member, it would be awfully entertaining if you became _my_ lap dog."

"Well don't you just have high hopes," he said sarcastically.

"A girl has got to try. I'm known to play big; it's a win or lose game for me."

"And I decide if you win or lose," he stated.

She smiled. "Exactly, it's hard to understand, I know."

"I knew you were a tease," he stated.

She gasped over dramatically. "Oh me? No, I just like men who work hard to get me. It makes me feel worth it,"

"I'm free tomorrow after school until seven," he stated.

She looked down and flushed. "That's a nice way to start." She said with a wide smile before turning and moving down the hall out of his site.

~O~

Her movements were fluid, that of a dancer and someone in a hurry. Her hips had a delicious and unintentional sway to them and her ass…damn that ass.

He stood there, stuffed his hands into his pockets and smirked. He liked her. He couldn't help himself. She was the kind of girl who knew what she wanted and how to get it. She wasn't the indecisive type that he was always meeting. She was not the overly swooning type or the girl that would lose her cool in front of a famous or a really important person either. She was his type of girl. She was feisty, straight forward and honest and if there was one thing Shikamaru always liked it was feisty.

He ignored the eyes that were upon him just like he had ignored the eyes that were glued to him when he was flirting with Ino. People stared and people would always talk, it was something that he didn't pay any attention to. He was famous, it was a natural occurrence. Rumors of course would begin flying the moment he stepped forward since everyone was metaphorically holding their breath and waiting for his next move. His smirk widened. He liked a woman who knew how to play dirty.

He turned and began walking in the direction he was originally coming from. His friends didn't expect him to vanish the way he did and not in a time like this when they had so much to discuss. He walked down the halls, took a few turns and went to the computer section. He opened the door that said 'no entry' and mounted the stairs all the way to the top. He opened the door at the top of the stairs and noticed that everyone was there including Gaara.

The computer room was carpeted in gray, the air conditioner on and the chair at each computer was a mobile chair.

"Sabuku," Shikamaru said walking over to the male to greet him.

Gaara stood his shoulders broad, his body well built and strong. His eyes were dark, layered with evil, his face always…strong and his gaze always intense. He was intimidating, made you fear what would happen if you lied to him. You could see his coldness yet you couldn't mistake his depth and his artistic, dark poetic side. He wasn't hollow; his pond only had its surface frozen over to keep the living underneath from dying from what was above the surface. He was almost like Sasuke; he didn't ask for respect, it was automatically given to him. He was oddly handsome, with an orgasmic thing to him for the ladies. He fit right in.

"Nara," he said smoothly with a smirk.

Naruto rolled his eyes and continued to spin in the chair. "I'm starving! Can we just get this on with?" he whined.

Shikamaru ignored him. "Did anyone see you come in?" he asked.

Gaara sat down. "I know how to not get caught," he stated.

Shikamaru chuckled before he sat down. Sasuke was silent as they conversed about trivial things. Gaara had been gone for such a long time in human years it was nice to see him again. The reason he left was a personal and hard one. However, this didn't stop him from staying a member of the council or as much of a member he could possibly be considering his circumstances.

Sasuke cleared his throat and all chatter stopped. It was time for business and updates.

"Itachi and I have been speaking." he began. "We had already sent out search teams to find out what really has been happening. We don't know what to make of this really. An awakening **(a/n this just refers to like the birth and growing of power, awakenings are usually used to describe those who come into their powers, discover them and start using them becoming a part of the 'supernatural' community)** is happening," he stated.

"Of what?"

"We don't know. The levels of surrounding power are becoming dense. We can't trace who or what it belongs to. It's not a level jump because the waves are completely different. It's triggering a lot of other minor powers to begin to Awaken in 'humans' and us."

Gaara nodded. "Did you find out when exactly this started happening?"

"A few days before school started." He replied. "Whatever has Awakened is a threat." He stated.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'm going to assume that you're telling us this because we have an assignment form the Pentitantum," he said.

Sasuke smacked his lips in disgust. "You've got that right,"

"Then I am also assuming that our job is to find what is Awakening in who, how much of a threat it really is and control it once fully awakened." He continued. Sasuke nodded. "What is the update on the dragons?" he asked.

Naruto groaned. "It's all complete bullshit. Xyliala and the Garmora's **(a/n these names just refers to different types of clans which are different species of dragons)** have decided that they should unite, move from Shadow and into Barmort and wipe out the dragons there." He stated. He glanced over at Neji before continuing what he was saying. "As we know, the Hyūga's are on the council and what does that mean? If they kill at least one dragon in Bartmort, both the Xyliala and Garmora clan will be in for a lot of bullshit."

"They've finally decided on 'mutiny'," Shikamaru mocked chuckling. He wasn't the least bit impressed by their great spark of idea.

Naruto nodded. "I'm not putting my kind in the social bullshit. My territory is off limits, we're staying out of this." He said seriously.

Gaara groaned and leaned back in the chair. "How did this social uproar even begin in the first place? Sasuke, they are practically and indirectly trying to wipe the Uchiha Clan and the Knight council out and change the system."

"We're not getting involved." He stated. "Let them fight and war. This is their battle not ours and they can try to wipe us out but they can't and they know that. I don't know what they hope to accomplish with all this foolishness."

"I'm not letting my specie die out if that is what you are insinuating," Neji spoke.

"I'm not saying that. We have no control over the war that will take place between them. If Bartmort is eventually populated by the Xyliala and Garmora clan then we will do something about it but that won't happen. Xyliala and Garmora are just trying to get our attention. Besides your clan is the Kapasula, you're the strongest of their kind, they hardly can do anything." he stated.

"And everything else?"

"It's not our problem," Gaara chipped in. "we deal with what's on our plate. Everything else involving the uproar of the clans have nothing to do with us unless the Pentitantum makes it have something to do with us. Our job is on other matters, we should focus on that."

"If this upsurge continues it will pose a huge problem to the minor awakenings around us. Others want to join our community. We have to make space for them, we have to find and recruit them." Neji stated.

"There is already a problem," Naruto said before groaning and slipping to the floor to lie on his side. "Three Awakenings have gone undetected since last week in the other side of town and two since this week started right here." he said.

"How do you know that?" Gaara asked.

"There's been a shift in the pressure around here except it's so damn vague and light I didn't know what it was until someone was actually fully Awakened." He stated. "I can't sniff it out so well, this new Awakening is almost like…over powering the rest."

"What are the powers?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto curled up more on the floor. "Nothing worth taking up just stupid stuff. Like I seriously don't even call them powers I don't know what the fuck is up with the Pentitantum. Why do we need humans for the most part who can still die by a bullet? Like do they want us to recruit everybody in this damn place? How the hell some stupid dude who can grow grass at will beneficial? They're not a part of our fucking community, they're still human and we're being invaded! Just wait, humans are going take us all over and turn us into slaves if we don't know what we're doing." He stated.

They smirked and Sasuke rolled his eyes. It didn't help that Naruto actually made a solid point with his complaining. They knew it irritated him since he was the one who was forced to help in detected stupid humans becoming more in tuned with their minds.

"Sasuke what's the plan?" Shikamaru asked.

Being the leader never really seemed to have as many perks as it should. It was a troublesome and bothering job with horrible consequences to it. His Knights had no blame on their head because as leader he is the one responsible for everything. He found that very stupid but nonetheless he also thought it made some logical sense.

"There is none," he stated, "nothing is for certain. Things are changing more than we thought it would. We might be in way over our fucking head with this as it is. Neji knows what I'm talking about." Sasuke stated.

All eyes landed on him. He took a deep breath and shifted. "Ramora became a dragon this morning, she has joined us males," he said.

There was absolute silence. Naruto sat up instantly, his eyes wide with disbelief just like everyone else. That was impossible. The Hyūga clan was indeed the strongest of all dragons but it was impossible for the females to become dragons naturally. That just never happened, not once in the course of history. The women were incapable of becoming dragons, more so because they were pure bloods from the Hyuga line. Ramora was a pure blood, both her parents lines from the Hyuga clan since they believed in intermarriage. It was impossible, a physical and supernatural _impossibility _for her to become a dragon. Within the clan the females were the keepers, sealers, rulers, masters and controllers of the males.

"What?" Gaara asked. "That's impossible."

Neji nodded. "We don't know how something as impossible as that has happened. She's not as big as I am or even close but for a new born, she's the biggest we've ever seen. She also cannot control it like we can; frankly she can't control it at all."

"What could have caused that?"

"there must be a change in her biological make up," Shikamaru stated, "but the only thing that could cause a change like that would have to come from a Deity which is impossible."

"Exactly," Neji stated, "this is more complex than we originally thought. They are running test, they have been since the transformation started but nothing is coming up."

"nothing would," Shikamaru said suddenly deep in thought, "this is tied to the Awakening," he stated, "something is being planned or am I the only one who notices the pattern that is forming here?" he asked.

Naruto groaned. "I do not understand anything," he said, "explain please."

"Shh," Shikamaru snapped closing his eyes. "Two clans, both classes of dragons have decided to try over throw their Kapasula around the same time this Awakening has begun that is over powering the minor Awakenings leaving them undetected while supernatural impossibilities are accruing." He stated.

"You have theories," Gaara said.

Shikamaru smiled. "I have many," he replied. "It's a bit out-landish but it's the best I can come up with right now. We know that power can be so much, so overwhelming that it impossible to detect without that intent in it. What if this Awakening is a decoy and not actually what we should be worrying about?"

"Support that," Neji said.

"Something that has not Awakened can't be the 'thing' pulling the strings. Our powers have been around this town for some time, there are no new recruiters which mean our powers could not have triggered this. It has to be something else that flipped a switch. Logically speaking, something with power as great as ours if not greater."

"You're saying there is a master mind; someone who is causing this dangerous Awakening without being detected?"

"I'm saying there is a possibility. It could be a coincidence but in our world there is no such thing." he stated. "We can't keep discussing this here." he stated. "It's too risky; all of this…needs to be dealt with." Shikamaru said.

Sasuke nodded and rose. "Fine then, you know what to do,"

"And what about you?"

"I have my own issues to deal with," he stated heading for the door.

"What about the girl Teme?" Naruto called out.

He froze and Gaara chuckled as Shikamaru smirked. "That's one of his issues he has to deal with. She has been away for some time, it has him worried."

He cut slits into Shikamaru.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Naruto asked. "I'm actually concerned you know. I hope nothing is wrong with her,"

"She's in the hospital," he shrugged.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Drop it," Sasuke said.

He didn't want to talk about it with them. That was something personal and he wanted to keep it that way. Without her so near he was being wrought with anger, uncontrollable irritation and emptiness. Having his own soul so close made him long to have it within him, knowing what it would be like to have it made him wonder how he had gone so long without it in his life. He was worried about her; her well being.

She was in the hospital and fine and that was all he needed to know. He didn't need to know anything else but it was the constant image of her face. It never left his frame of mind, not once to give him a chance to breathe. Everywhere he went he would see her, picture himself touching her, holding her and feeling longing emotions he'd never dreamed of ever experiencing. He would smell her, taste her, she was everywhere. It was nerve wrecking and Kami knew it pissed him off to no end that this girl was turning him into mashed potato.

He hated her, down to every cell but after speaking with her a couple times he just couldn't let the hate run as bone deep as it used to. She had done nothing to him, had never asked for this and did not even know about it. Everything was just so complicated, he had so many things to do and deal with it was beginning to get to him. What a great idea the Gods had to mix both together to live in one place.

Naruto shrugged. "Dropped." He said seeing how uneasy his friend was with the subjected.

He opened the door and stood there. "Don't be late," he told him, his tone commanding.

"What about food?" Naruto whined. "And I mean _real _food?"

"Hunt before you get there," Sasuke said coldly before walking out.

He went down the steps and all the way back to where other students were shuffling and moving about, school on the verge of ending. They were in that meeting for a pretty long time he noted. When he was in meetings like that, he always seemed to forget about time.

His ears -just like always- heard the voices of everyone in the school, in the community and practically in the entire town. He keened his ears, out of habit to find something interesting to listen to while he walked. Tenten's voice caught his attention.

"Is she here today?" she asked someone.

"No, she's not here today. Please stop asking already, it's too much to think about. I don't know anything as it is, I'm worried too." Came Ino's voice.

He knew already who they were speaking about.

_Pitter patter! Pitter Patter! _

He frowned. Tami. Slender fingers wrapped around his arm.

"Good evening handsome," she smiled kissing his cheek, "everything alright?" she asked instantly.

"hn,"

"But you look down or something. Are you sure everything is alright? Which fan girl stupidly irritated you today?" she asked sweetly.

"Tami drop it," he ordered.

"But you won't talk to me," she complained, "You usually smirk when I come along, though it wouldn't hurt if I could get a smile once in a while," she chipped in.

"I don't smile,"

"But you could do it for me, even once," she pointed out.

"Tami," he gritted, "I said stop," he said irritated and wary.

"You know you're being a dick head," she pouted.

"You are provoking me. Stop it. Just be quiet."

She smiled. "I know what I'm doing, would you just relax a little? I mean, it's a good day-"

"Stop. Talking." Sasuke said balling his hands into a fist as anger threatened to strangle him.

She was threading dangerous waters and she didn't even know it. Was she deaf or just plain dumb? Why couldn't she shut up? He felt like he was going to snap and he knew she was only bugging him because she cared but she needed to stop talking before he ended up hurting her. He was so close to snapping her little neck with how annoyed and provoked he was by her right now.

"Would you stop that?" she quipped.

"If you would shut the fuck up," he said, "There would be no problem."

"Sasuke-"

"Stop."

"I'm trying to lighten the mood!"

It happened in a flash, the students in the hall stunned into silence. They didn't know what hit them. Tami was pinned to the locker, Sasuke's hand holding her throat. He seethed, anger blazed in his eyes.

"Don't, provoke me," he spat out darkly.

He was on edge almost like he was being deprived of life force. He did not need Tami around him at a time like this or bad things –really bad things- would happen to her. He let her go, shrugged and moved down the hall, looking like he was levitating or gliding.

No one moved, everyone stood there silent unable to believe what had just happened. Tami gasped, holding her own throat with tears in her eyes as she watched his fleeting back. She couldn't come to terms with what just happened. She couldn't understand why he was acting like that. The tears over flowed before she headed down the hall, opposite direction, away from everyone else.

Sasuke's hand balled into a fist, tight with his finger nails digging into his skin so hard his oddly colored blood trickled. He stopped in front of his car and stared at it. Frustration was strong in him just like his built up anger. He shook his head and walked past his car down to the edge of the parking lot which was where the forest started. He stepped off the gravel and onto fertile soil. He looked behind him one time before he started walking, going deeper within its darkness even within the day.

The forest was thick and dense, trees big with wide leaves and branches closely packed and shielding out the sun. The trees were tall and dark green with fruits. There were other forms of flowers, conifers, ferns, mosses and beautiful forms of plant life all about.

His fist balled tighter as the frustration of everything continued to grow inside of him. He stood in front of the large trunked Beech tree, contemplated before he hit it. He hit it so hard with his right hand, breaking it and the ones after it. He triggered a chain reaction of minor earth quakes of falling trees. Empty silence, mimicking his inner subconscious somewhere, took hold of the place around him. The silence, space and air was something he needed to think and get himself under control.

Since she came into the picture, even the simplest of choices seemed complex. He noticed how indecisive he had become, making one choice, thinking about it for too long and too hard only to end up changing his mind once again. It was starting to surpass every level of annoyance he had ever gone through; something on a different perturbing level.

_**And there you guys have it, another chapter. I hope it was alright and that you guys didn't have a problem understanding anything that was written in this chapter. It had crossed my mind that you guys might have some problems but I hope they were left as 'un-answered questions' rather than 'misunderstandings'. **_

_**Much Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	14. Chapter 14

_New update, yeah? Is it too soon? I thought it was just needed to be updated as fast as possible because I felt like the last chapter wasn't good enough for you guys and you were disappointed with the lack of Sakura+Sasuke in it Um…I hope this one does a better job. READ AND ENJOY! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Seventeen]**

It was different they noticed. She was different; everything was different when she came back. There was no smile on her face and her voice was broken like glass, filled with stress and pain. She had been gone for so long, two weeks without even a single word. It was insignificant but mattered just the same.

When she entered, the room was silent almost frightened that the pink hair came to life again. Many had thought she was gone for good, no one actually knowing what really happened to her. There had been other speculations about the place, rumors flying that it was Tami's fault and others saying Sasuke got what he wanted and ruined her. No one knew for sure until she came in, looking blankly ahead of her, almost like she was in the room but somewhere else all together as well.

Delilah looked at her closely; observing her as much as she could; trying to figure out why she looked the way she did.

"Miss Haruno, if you're still sick you shouldn't be at school," she said.

Sakura smiled weakly, a forced one. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you," she squeaked. She shuffled to Delilah's desk and spoke in a low voice to her.

The speculating eyes stuck to her fragile frame. She looked slimmer to Ino…dreadfully slimmer. Ino felt her heart well when Sakura came in. Her heart stopped and she frankly didn't know what to do. Something was wrong with her, something just had to be but she couldn't say anything yet. She had to wait.

Sakura moved from the teacher's desk and as she headed to her seat handed Ino a piece of paper. Her hands were shaking when she opened it up.

_I know I've been gone for a while. I just need some…time…alone. _

_-Sakura_

Ino read the paper about fifty times before what Sakura was asking sunk into her. Tears built in her eyes as she felt the pang of hurt. Something was seriously wrong with her best friend and she couldn't change that she really cared. She was so worried. Sakura had been gone for two weeks without a word or anything to anyone and now she still didn't want anyone talking to her? Her hands shook as she wiped her eyes trying to control herself.

Delilah asked her if she was okay and like a pro she lied easily. She looked behind her and Sakura was at her desk, her head in her hands huddled in the corner away from everyone. She wasn't sitting directly behind Naruto anymore, but more over in the corner _away_ from him.

Pain pierced her heart as she looked at her best friend going through a struggle she knew nothing about or could do anything about. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She turned around in her seat and tried to act like Sakura wasn't there. She tried her hardest to do what Sakura was asking her to.

Sakura sat there with the headache rocking her into madness. She ran her hand over her hair before she placed her forehead in her palm and entangled her fingers within her hair. The migraine hurt so badly. It felt like her head was being heated, bubbling away and was about to burst in heated oblivion. She noticed that when she came, moved her desk there was silence. No one said anything to her but they looked.

She didn't want to come to school this morning but she also did not want to stay in the hospital taking medication, being fed from drips and speaking to a woman for the entire day. She wanted to be out and this was her only way.

Something was wrong with her, she already knew that. She didn't want someone else to tell her that. She didn't want someone else to tell her how bad her paranoia was, how irrational her fears were or how unjustifiable her views were. She didn't want to face any of that because nothing could make her better. Not the medication they placed her on, the drips, the people they made her talk to or the places they placed her to stay. Nothing was going to change that aspect of her because medication could not alter bone deep personality just like how medication couldn't alter past experiences and make them better. Medication would not do anything for her that they would expect it to do. She did not want to take anymore medication. It was too much and too hard. She felt like she was drugging herself all the time.

Her fingers gripped her hair tighter, pulling at them as the pain in her head increased.

_Help me_

_I'm trying to Sakura, I'm trying to but I can't make it go away, _her inner said painfully _I don't know how to make it stop._

_Why is it always me? What have I ever done?_

_I don't know! God, I've been trying to figure this out and I can't alright I just can't! I don't have any answers! I don't know what to do, I'm sorry! _

_The pain just started as I came in here, why? _As she entered this room the pain started making her eyes flutter. She glanced at Sasuke for the smallest of time.

_Sakura…I wish I knew the answer but I don't. _

She took deep breaths trying to center herself. If you can't stop the pain then get accustomed to it so you can bear it. That was something she found she was telling herself lately. She sat up and with so much effort dried her tears and made it to lunch.

She took her bag and came out of the class and walked around aimlessly. She had no idea where she was going since her mind was just telling her everywhere. How can you go everywhere when you don't even know where everywhere began?

People bounced into her, pushed around since the halls were full. Students were walking all about with a purpose; with different destinations in mind. The sounds were so loud and the lights so bright around her it made her want to scream. Everything was so loud, bursting her air drums and popping veins in her head. It was hard as she shuffled about only to finally stumbled into the cafeteria. She looked around before she took refuge at the extreme back within the corner.

She sat down and began rocking, back and forth on her bottom, squinting her eyes and holding her ears. She was just like that for a long time, trying to zone it all out until her back pack started to vibrate. It was time for her to take her medication. Story of her life. She pulled them out, the water bottle and took them all effortlessly before placing her head down on the table. Tears rushed down her face from the pain.

It was this or staying. She was trying to tell herself that coming here was the better option. She knew the headache would stop, it always did but in the spear of the moment it felt like it was never going to end.

She kept shifting, over and over again until she settled for resting her elbows on the table and putting her forehead in her palm, fingers tangled in her hair. Her tears dripped onto the table but she paid it no mind as she tried to relax and keep calm as to not let the pain get any worse because she knew it well and could.

~O~

She didn't know that people were watching her namely Ino.

Ino gripped Tenten's hand.

"Where are you going?"

"Obviously I'm going over to her to find out what's wrong," Tenten replied obviously.

"I already told you that she doesn't want any one of us near her. Just give her some space,"

Tenten looked at Sakura then back at Ino. "But look at her, she needs some help."

"Listen to me. When she wants to be alone, she wants just that, to be _alone. _It breaks my heart to say it but this is something we just can't help her with." Ino said.

She hated how the truth tasted in her mouth. She couldn't do anything to help Sakura, not right now.

Since Sakura was gone they had actually managed to become good friends. It was hard for Ino not to think that Tenten was a whore or slut or something like that _but _she was a nice person to talk to and very open minded.

Tenten told her that she had somewhere to be and walked out of the cafeteria taking one last glance at Sakura before she disappeared. Ino knew what she had gone to do, when she was at school if she didn't call her son about thirty times a day, she would die of complete worry.

She noticed the second the guys walked into the cafeteria, bringing power and silence about the room. Ino knew they were famous but they were treated much more than that, beyond the boundaries of just fame. They were treated like Gods on earth, like fallen angels as they levitated about the place. They walked with such grace and elegance; their strides manly and deep yet light as a cloud. Their movements would put dancers and ballerinas to shame. They were mighty people with mighty talent and not just in the band.

Her cheeks flushed as she saw Shikamaru. They weren't together but they were friends or maybe just a little bit more than that. Sasuke was with his girl friend Tami that Ino hated with a passion. She wished the slim bitch would just jump off a cliff and die.

If it wasn't for Sakura and the fact that she had fainted that day when she did then Ino would have never met any of them. They wouldn't even be interested in her at all but then again that was not really the point. Shikamaru strode over to her first and dropped his hand around her waist.

"She's still not talking?" he asked darting his eyes over to Sakura.

"She just needs to be alone,"

"Something is wrong," he stated.

"Yes!" Naruto said waltzing into the conversation. "Seriously what's wrong with her? I hate seeing her like that and I don't know what to do. She's been crying all day!"

"I don't know," Ino sighed as they picked a seat, "can we just not talk about it?" she asked.

They sat there for a long time, eating and laughing but Sasuke remained quieter than usual. Once or twice he would make a comment or something but this time he was oddly silent. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one right there in the cafeteria and started smoking. He knew all too well that no one would dare say anything to him about it.

He wasn't saying anything because he was too highly aware of her presence. The fact that she was here was too much for him to just ignore like that. Also she was crying. Why? why would she come here is she wasn't ok?

He watched her, discreetly so no one else would notice. He noticed how she held her head, how she rocked back and forth slightly like the pain was driving her crazy. He noticed how her heart raced, how her blood rushed and how the tears seemed endless. He noticed how she clenched her teeth together because she didn't want to make a sound and how vibrations clogged in her throat since she refused to let the sounds escape. He noticed that her temples seemed swollen…she was having a migraine to kill.

The more she cried the annoyance he had with her grew. He wanted her to stop crying. It was bothering him like a fly constantly ringing in his ears.

"Sasuke, you know you really need to stop smoking," Tami stated.

You would think that Tami would understand not to bother him much after what had happened to them the other day but she was like a love sick puppy and she just kept coming back. She was like so many teenage girls, naïve and unable to decipher emotions and couldn't handle _not _being wanted. She forgave him the second he said, 'I'm coming over.'

His response was silence just like it had been since school started. His eyes moved to her again as he blew out smoke from his mouth. His subconscious couldn't stop chanting over and over again.

_Stop crying, your tears are annoying, stop crying…_

His mind kept repeating over and over again without his consent until the chant entered in his subconscious. He wasn't bothering himself with it but he felt like what he had said transcended from his mind into thin air on replay travelling over to her. He strangely felt like she had heard him.

He noticed the moment her head snapped up and wide, fearful emerald eyes looked around in fright. His eyes darted around, trying to see what she was seeing but there was nothing.

Her crying increased as well as her grip on her hair. Concern rose in him and he became more alert. What was happening to her?

~O~

Sakura sat there hearing the voice get louder and louder. She knew nothing was there and it was all in her head but the voice just kept on chanting and would not stop. It was mellow and sounded too familiar but it wasn't real. The pain in her head started to grow as confusion started turning into fear. Why should she be set in such torment the moment she came here? It wasn't fair.

_Stop crying! _

"Stop it," she begged agonizingly.

_Stop crying!_

"Stop it!" she shrieked feeling her mind snap again when she jumped up, hitting her bag over and fleeing from the cafeteria in hysteria. "Stop!" she screamed bursting through the door, down the halls and out in the open.

"Sakura!" his voice roared, the earth trembling from the power. His body moved instantly, the cigarette falling from his hand as he stormed out of the cafeteria after her.

Everyone froze with eyes wide. People stopped mid bite, forks in hand, juices at lips, food almost entering mouths, hand hovering over food and mid laughter. No one moved or even dared to. Tami gapped like a fish out of water just like everyone else.

No one knew what had just happened or what to expect. The silence stretched on as people started eyeing each other, looking for some sort of answer to their question; "what had just happened?"

Shikamaru was the first to move. He ran his hand over his face. "Ah hell," he sighed, "this is troublesome. I thought he _knew _about this part of the ordeal."

Ino's eyes were glued to the exit of the cafeteria. The same one Sakura had just ran through in distress with Sasuke tracing right after her.

Naruto stood and came out of the seat.

"Wait," Neji said to Naruto halting his movements, "he doesn't want us there." he said.

The table became ominously silent with the awkward feeling in the air as the cafeteria students slowly eased back into talking and eating. Ino wondered now, greatly, what was happening outside.

**Outside…**

She dropped to her knees around the back of the school, holding her head and bawling. There was something racking her, clawing at the inside of her mind, begging for a way out. Something was killing her, intoxicating her mind, electrocuting her brain and it just hurt so much.

She couldn't understand why it had started so soon, she thought it had stopped. And the voices! The voices were everywhere, attacking her from all angles, chanting in her head and driving her crazy. She was hearing things that weren't there, so loud and demanding, evil and slithering in her mind. _Why was this happening the moment she stepped in class? _

Everything was so loud, the lights were so bright, the smell around her was so strong it was all becoming too much. It was too much for her. She felt something wrong, something different in the pain she was suddenly feeling; something new, something alien about how it was happening, something that she wasn't used to. This was different. The pain was different, the intensity was different, the way she felt and how her body was reacting. The pain, everything was so overpowering she didn't hear Sasuke's approach.

Sasuke took a breath before he walked over to her and knelt down in front of her. She was rocking as something he was starting to figure out slowly drove her crazy. He moved her hands away from her face but her head kept shaking, the tears kept coming as her eyes got darker and darker, becoming blood shut.

This was his fault he realized. He had caused this to happen to her without realizing it until it was too late; until it had reached this apex. He looked at her, watching her…trying to figure out what was happening. She was wheezing and gasping, the pain, invading her entire body.

"Make it stop." she begged, her hands flying back to her head, pulling her hairs out of her scalp as the impossible happened to her. The pain grew stronger, intensifying. "Please!" she cried her voice strained and desperate.

He took both her hands, moved it from her face and held it in place with one hand. Her eyes glanced up at him, so red down to her tears had red tints in them. She was looking at him, but he knew that she wasn't seeing him, she was in a haze. The more her tears fell, the deeper the red became until it was the colour of his blood. It was red, deep far too dark to be classified as human blood with black swirling spots embossed in it. His blood was a red so dark, so thick and sleek it was something no other human had ever seen, with curse mark spots of darkness whirling in it. She was shaking, looking at him yet seeing completely through him as the liquid ran down her face.

"What the-"

He'd never seen anything like it in all his years. He'd never seen a human bleed demonic blood. He looked around, suddenly conscious about the surroundings and if any eyes were watching. He needed to stop this, whatever the hell this was to begin with. He could only –at that time- think of one logical way to end this and that was just by putting her to sleep. He was not witch or anything but he knew a few tricks.

He pressed his palm against her forehead and spoke under his breath, his voice only coming out as a gust of wind. "Lumina de mintea omului aduce mai departe in stare de inconstienta de putere coplesitoare oasele,"

Her body went limp as her eyes closed instantly. He picked her up and looked at her face. He watched the blood vanish into thin air, evaporating from her skin until it didn't seem like anything was there to begin with. He looked puzzled. What in the world had just happened? What had he even done to cause this in the first place?

He stood there waiting, knowing his friends would hear his call. They came indeed, walking slowly and cautiously over to him. Naruto however wasn't one to be as careful as the rest of them and practically ran over to him.

"What the hell happened dude?" he asked loudly.

"You're going to need to take her home," Shikamaru said with a sigh, "I thought you were going to stay away from her."

"I was," Sasuke gritted or at least he'd thought about it a little. But it wasn't that easy to do, didn't they get that?

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Not in your head you didn't because if you were _that_ wouldn't have happened,"

"What happened?"

"There was an overwhelming mental link formed between the both of you the moment you saw her this morning. It's the first it's happened and her body is weak and she's already suffering from some sort of mental trauma which made it impossible for her to handle it. It happens, it's part of what enables you both to understand each other so well. I just never thought to tell you about it because I figured you'd have pieced that together." He stated. "Take her home,"

Sasuke sighed and looked again at her limp body in his arms. "I'll take her to infirmary," he said finally.

"What are you going to do Teme?" Naruto demanded. "I actually like her and I don't think now is the time to think about fucking her!"

"Dobe I wasn't even…" he stopped himself mid rage and glared at his idiotic best friend. "Nara you have some explaining to do," Sasuke clipped and began moving from around the back of the school to the door leading back inside.

"I don't trust you to take her to the nurse," Naruto said skeptically.

"He likes her," Shikamaru stated.

Naruto looked at him closely. "You mean-?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah that's what I mean, don't worry he won't do anything or at least I don't think he's that stupid. I'll handle everything here then later I'll come over your place and talk about this." He said.

Sasuke was not looking forward to any of this. "Alright," he said and began walking away before he stopped, turned and looked at Naruto. "Naruto," he said looking at his best friend who now had on his serious face, "you know what I want you to do?"

"I smelt them before I came out here. The Pentitantum needs to learn to trust us." he informed him.

Sasuke nodded. "Get rid of them," he ordered.

He nodded. "Don't worry about it, I'll deal with it." he promised.

He nodded before he pushed the door open with his foot and went into the school.

_**There you guys have it. So I have this summer job that's from like 10am-8pm which drains the life out of me and I work five days a week but I'm going to try my best to keep the chapters coming. I want to try to update as much as possible in this summer and we only have one month left so I have to kick it up a notch. I'm going to try! THANK YOU ALL THE REVIEWERS AND FAVOURITE-ERS, AND FOLLOWERS AND JUST EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED ME THIS FAR! ANY suggestions you have you are free to tell me about them and if you have anything to say you can always PM me! ^_^**_

_**Soak up the beautiful sun with love,**_

_**D.V **_


	15. Chapter 15

_Here we go my loyal fans! **I have just one request here and no, this is not a scam to get more reviews:**_

_**I'm just asking that if you have questions please ask them because maybe by the end of the story they won't be answered. For instance, in a review, a fan had asked me what happens to Sasuke's soul if some else gets it and to be fair, if she'd never asked me that I doubt any of you guys would really have found an answer to that very easily. This just made me realize that you fans also have important things you need to know that I at merely 16 wouldn't have considered or found important or even thought of. Your satisfaction with this story is also VERY important. So, any questions, please don't be afraid to ask and if you're confused, please express that as well so I can ensure the story progresses productively. Thank you. **_

_Now, READ AND ENJOY! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Fifteen]**

Sasuke waited until the nurse had left to go back to her desk like he had told her to before he mumbled under his breath. Sakura was on the bed and Sasuke was sitting in a chair at the side. Her eyes fluttered open and her body shot up in a frightened gasp.

He stood and touched her shoulders gently, pushing her back down onto the bed. "Relax," he told her in a calm voice.

She looked up at him completely confused in terms of what was happening. He withdrew his hand from her body. Touching her sent waves of heat through him. It was a kind of heat he could not stand, the kind that if he got enough of it would give him a hard on. It was the kind of heat that sent pleasure into his system, sent selfishness out the window and put other things inside of him that he did not like. He stood there looking into her eyes until they sank into realization.

"Thank you," she rasped.

He flooded his arms. "For what?" he asked.

"You stopped the pain," she said, "thank you,"

He stared at her for a long moment. He would have thought she would forget something like that when he had pushed her into an unconscious state. He nodded and her eyes trailed to him again.

"Can I please sit up now?" she asked.

"Why?"

She frowned and nodded in understanding. He almost gapped at her. If at the moment he wasn't feeling as sick as he did, the thought of her submission wouldn't have slightly turned him on. However, at that moment it did.

"I don't own you, you know," he stated, "you don't have to listen to what I tell you."

"Yes, but you helped me a while ago, I don't want to be someone that appears ungrateful,"

He sat down in the chair next to be bed and rested his hands on his knees and intertwined his fingers. "You can get up Sakura, it's fine with me,"

She shot up instantly. He watched her closely. It was something he couldn't stop doing no matter how hard he wanted to. When she was around, she was all he could think about and focus on. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed, straightened up and stared at him with a small smile on her face. She blinked innocently at him. Those eyes of hers almost a gateway to some other inhumane place that he longed to go…reluctantly longed to go.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

She was breathing deeply and her heart beat uncontrolled. "I don't know," she continued blinking, "how did you do that?" she asked softly.

"What did I do?"

"Stop everything," she said, "How did you do it?"

He sighed and pressed his lips together. "You'll find out soon enough, you'll be spending a bit of time with me from now on." He told her.

There was no way around it. He just had to spend time with her. This was about them both and he couldn't ignore it and no matter how much of a complication in his life this was, he couldn't ignore. This was too big and too important. He had to spend time with her…he just had to. It wasn't safe to keep her in such a dark place with all of this.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I just said and I'm sure it was self explanatory." He replied easily with an amused smirk on his face.

She was gorgeous. Her eyes were big and beautiful and her expression was that of something so confused, young and sweet. She shook her head. For a split second time slowed as he examined her: her smooth skin he could run his fingers and tongue across, a voice so sweet like strawberries drenched in chocolate and eyes that led to her soul. He bit his bottom lip as time sped up again.

"No, I can't," her head continued shaking. "I can't talk to you; I don't want to cause anymore problems. They don't like me; I don't want to give them anymore reason to hate me. I don't want to anger your girlfriend and you already don't like me that much. You shouldn't waste time on me, at all no matter how minimal." She rushed.

"Tami is a big girl; she can deal with any of her problems on her own. You won't tell me what I can and cannot do. We will be spending time together; there is no way around or out of it. That is just how it has to be. No one would dare play around with you from now on, you have no need to worry about it." he told her reassuringly.

It was a shame to him how afraid of the world she seemed to be sometimes. It was odd how he seemed to suddenly admire that about her. How considerate she was to think that far ahead, to consider antagonizing other people around his life, even though she wouldn't.

She continued shaking her head. "Please don't, she doesn't like me and truth be told, I am afraid that she will try to hurt me again,"

He smirked and his lips twitched. If he didn't know better he would chuckle at her cuteness that was almost over bearing the longer her looked at her. He nodded.

"If you worry about that, you'll never meet many people." he stated. "She won't hurt you, I have her under control," he assured her.

He watched her, bemused as her hair fanned out annoyingly around her. He saw her lips edging as though there was something she really wanted to say. He stared at her expectantly. She was trying her best to keep quiet, swinging her legs and looking around.

"Will I go back to class?" she asked.

"Do you want to?"

"I don't know, I feel funny," she said nonchalantly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Funny?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I feel funny but I don't know why. I feel…curious and in some kind of aw. I feel very angry and frustrated at the same time too and the pit of my stomach feels very hard, almost dried out. I don't know why though, I've never felt like this before." She shrugged.

He ran his hands through his hair and licked his lips slowly. He sighed, letting out a low, smooth breath. What in the world was this? He hadn't fed in about a week; his entire stomach was completely empty and as dry as desert sand. The more he thought, the curiosity made a bit of sense to him. He was amused and curious by her; by this whole thing in general. Which all it did was frustrate him to no end.

He hadn't forgotten what Shikamaru had told him but there was no way she was feeling he was feeling too. That was impossible wasn't it? He knew he could understand her far better than anyone else but certainly she couldn't do the same…right?

The incident earlier could have triggered many things between them or even started a chain reaction. He didn't want that to happen. He couldn't deal with that, he really couldn't. It was hard to even truly stomach her to begin with, let alone have this whole complicated thing become even more complicated. He looked at her and noticed how hard she was watching him then he smirked.

"You catch on fast Haruno," he commented.

She broke out into a wide grin and laughed. "You thought about it," she stated, "I didn't think you would," she admitted.

He chuckled. She was something else. She had purposely said those things, trying to figure out what was going on between them. His reaction gave it away that this wasn't just about two people coincidentally about at the same time. It confirmed that what had just happened back then wasn't something that happened on a daily basis and that an explanation was certainly in order because now, she could almost feel even a portion of what he was feeling.

"Alright, what do you think?" he asked her.

She looked down, a blush on her face. "It's pretty stupid; I don't know what to think. I believe I'm actually filling my head with something completely out of this world."

His smirk widened. "No, you're on the right track. Go on, tell me what you've come up with since you've been sitting there," he said leaning back in the chair and looking at her in amusement.

She flushed deeper and looked around. "I don't know, I didn't think that far ahead. Since I was afraid to just…you know, ask, I thought I would wing it."

He rubbed his chin and forced himself not to smile at how much she had just impressed him. He didn't know she was _that_ observant, he had underestimated her. He had made a mistake. She was far smarter than he had thought she was. He couldn't even fathom how he had been completely oblivious to what she was doing. She used what she was feeling to find out if it was linked to him without asking him that directly. He thought about it…he showed her a sign that it was. She used that to find out if he had really stopped the pain or if it was her mind.

"I am impressed," he said.

She smiled. "I hope I'm not invading by trying to figure any of this out, please tell me if I am."

"No of course not, by all means, go right on ahead." He said. "This does involve you does it not?"

"Does it?"

"Yes it does," he confirmed.

"What was it?" she asked.

"It was blood," he replied, "If you remember everything, you should remember that."

"That was not blood," she whispered, "I've never seen blood that color before,"

He smirked. "That is because it was not yours, it was mine," he said.

"But-"

"How about this," he proposed standing with a sigh, "one day, I will tell you about it. I have to, I really don't have a choice, you have already figured out that something is obviously wrong and it tangles in with me anyways. Just, hold your horses," he said.

She looked up at him. "Are you lying to me?"

"If you can't tell then I guess I'm not,"

She smiled. "Touché,"

"Indeed it is," he stated mightily.

He chuckled when she looked down and laughed. What was he doing? Was he actually enjoying her company? He mentally shook his head.

"I'll go and get your things," he said.

"I can go and get it," she said quickly hopping off the bed. "It's okay, you really don't have to-"

The world spun around her, the floor seemed to shift from her feet and she was looking at three Sasuke's instead of one. Her knees gave way under her and arms strongly held on to her and placed her back on the bed. She held her head for a second, took deep breaths with her eyes closed. Her head spun but soon, after a few deeper breaths, it stopped. She opened her eyes.

He looked at her with a frank expression his face. He folded his arms and stared. Her expression faltered before she deflated. She looked away and groaned.

"I don't want to cause any trouble," she said, "You're not supposed to be talking to me, I'm not famous, you have better things to do."

"You don't want anyone to know that you're speaking to me?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I really don't and I don't want to be rude, honestly but I don't think I should be talking to you _ever_. I just want to stay out of everyone's hair, I'm new here and I already don't have many friends as it is because a lot of kids here already hate me. I really don't want to anger anyone at this school and I'm not a fan girl, I don't even know who you are and the last thing I want is for people to think I'm forcing myself onto you or something." She said pleadingly.

"Too bad for you," he said emotionlessly, "You're already under my claws, Sakura you won't be getting out," he said with a shrug, "sit and wait." He ordered, stuffing his hands in his pocket and walking away.

He heard her let out a long, agonizing sigh. He knew better that the girls here were brazen women; they would try to hurt her more so since he wasn't with her. If she took Tami's place that would be different but she wouldn't (Tami was important) and that would be a problem. He wouldn't let anyone touch her of course. She was as fragile as a water lily, falling tenderly on the surface of a pond. The easiest thing would frighten her and he couldn't have that if he intended to introduce her to his world.

She was smarter than he had thought so there was no way he could really _not _tell her. She had noticed the blood, the different kind of pain and how he had stopped the pain. She had caught on vaguely that she was almost feeling something that he was at the same time. He couldn't have her on her own. There were many kind of monsters, creatures and powerful beings out there. They could mistake something in her for him and realize who she was to him. His soul leaked strong and possibly suffocating power. If he wasn't around to keep it at bay, it would be easy to locate. That meant she would be in danger as well as him and it would drag people into his business that he would rather stay out of it.

He didn't want to talk to her but some part of him wanted to. He was contradicting himself. He'd noticed how much he had been doing that lately. He'd been doing it since she dropped out of now where into the busy town. Sometimes, for a split second, he had the feeling of not knowing what to do with himself and his existence. She messed with his mind without even knowing it, grasping his attention for so long and so strongly. What a horrible and selfish woman she was to do him something like that, making him almost her slave. However, he knew she was as selfless as one human could possibly be and it was only his distaste speaking that way of her. He couldn't have anyone know she had his soul; he couldn't let anyone get it.

If they got his soul, one that apparently could jump so many levels, only Kami knew what they would do with it. With the social up-roar that would be a major advantage to them. They could kill him and Sakura too. They could even control him if they wanted to but that was insinuating that they could control his soul to begin with. Souls were rebellious things with minds of their own, an obsession with being reunited with their master. They'd kill their hosts to get to their masters if he/she wouldn't take them out willingly. They were terrible and emitted darkness very few could withstand. The stages that would happen to Sakura in the future would be due to the fact that his soul would be trying to kill her, to come out on its own to be taken in by Sasuke. Souls didn't have many chances to kill their hosts/vessels but they didn't need many. There were many creatures who could certainly manage to tame his soul and use it against them.

As he walked down the hall, all eyes were glued to him. Everyone was on their way to class now since lunch was over and the bell had just rang. They never stopped looking and whispering. They continued to ogle and awe. It annoyed him as he made his way to the cafeteria. He heard her small, hard and angry footsteps following him. He ignored her for he knew once he entered the empty cafeteria she was bound to make her presence known.

He pushed the doors open and held it open. She brushed past him and entered. He rolled his eyes and entered, letting the door close. He looked around and spotted her bag where she had left it at her seat. He started walking, completely ignoring her.

She drew in an angry breath. "Sasuke are you really going to ignore me?" Tami fumed.

"Yes I am," he said simply plucking up Sakura's bag and dropping it over his shoulder. He turned to look at her.

She backed up wide eyed. "Don't tell me you're taking her bag to her,"

"Then I won't." he stated emotionlessly.

She gapped at him, her heart wrenching and hurt penetrating her eyes. She looked at him dubiously. "Sasuke," she breathed out.

He looked at her. "Tami, not now," he said.

"What do you mean _not now_?" she snapped. "What are you doing? Why are you doing this?"

"I said not now," he repeated. He was becoming annoyed.

He knew she was head over heels for him but the feeling wasn't mutual. He didn't think it would ever be no matter how much she desired it.

"You told me that you didn't want to talk to any of the girls here. You told me that none of them interested you. Why are you becoming a slave to the pink head whore? You defended her and now you're bringing her bag to her? Are you fucking picking her over me or something?" she demanded, her rage showing on her beautiful face.

"I need to get going, I'll call you." he said simply.

He started walking and left the cafeteria. He didn't want to deal with her. It was true that there were times where he didn't mind being around her; times when she made things a bit lighter and she made good company. However, there were the most prominent times where he really wanted nothing to do with her. She was annoying as hell and demanded more out of him than she would ever get. He went back into the infirmary and handed her bag to her. She smiled tenderly.

"You really didn't have to," she repeated. She sighed and stared at him. She had that look on her face that was asking him 'what now?'. He shrugged for he too he did not know either.

"What now?" he asked with a smirk, mocking her.

She laughed. "I don't know," she said shuffling through her bag and pulling out a large zip lock bag filled with medication both liquid and pill form. He raised an eye brown but she pretended not to see. Just as she unzipped the back a beeper went off. "Right on time," she said happily.

She yanked out a bottle and took out a long medication holder with seven slots. She pulled out one from two slots. She took out a bottle and took a cap full of the dark green liquid, then drank something yellow and popped something a dirty white and dirty brown into her mouth. She made a face as if she was about to vomit her guts out but she didn't.

"What are those for?" he asked finally.

She looked up at him almost as if she forgot he was there. She looked down at the bag.

"Just… stuff," she said slowly.

"Sakura,"

"I don't want to talk about it,"

"At least tell me what that horrible green thing was," he chided.

She smiled. "Trust me; it tastes way worse than it looks. It's supposed to help with secreting mucus in my lungs to prevent them from scarring and all sorts of stupid things." She explained.

"And that nasty brown thing?" he asked.

She sighed. "It stops my stomach acid from coming up the inside of my throat. It would be pretty bad; you really don't want something like that to happen to you, it's really nothing comforting." She said. "That's it; please don't ask about anything else, I don't want to talk about it."

He nodded. He didn't know why he felt so curious about her or even why for this moment in time he couldn't control his mouth. He wasn't the type to care much or be interested in the movements of life. He'd seen it all. There was nothing to entertain him and so no reason to ask questions. However this was different considering that he felt the urge to talk with her. Her voice was still soft and low. It was like the stubble feeling of a feather atop your cheek.

Silence stretched on between them. He didn't have a problem with it but he knew that she did by the way she fidgeted and kept glancing around. He observed her. Her soft features and how the innocence radiated from her like the eruption of a volcano. He couldn't imagine someone every hurting her. He couldn't imagine a human wanting to.

"Are you extremely sick?" he asked before he could stop himself.

She smiled weakly and looked down. "I'm alive, that's good enough isn't it?" she asked softly.

"Is it?" he countered.

She looked at him with eyes hiding nothing from him. Her emerald seas as clean as pool and open like any other book he had ever read. But he just couldn't dive into them, she wouldn't allow him to.

"I tell myself that it is," she replied honestly. "You're talking to me," she stated.

He raised an eyebrow but he knew what she was talking about. It was obvious but he decided to play the fool.

"You don't talk much and you're talking to me. Actually talking to me," she explained.

"As you are speaking to me," he stated. She looked at him and he sighed. "I advise you to get used to me." he said, his voice laced with slyness and unintended seduction.

He drew a hand over his face.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked kindly.

He chuckled mockingly. "What gave you that idea?" he asked.

"Is it my imagination? What is going on?"

He was silent and when he spoke it was muffled. "Let me confess that I deeply dislike every moment that I must spend with you. However it is not that you are the problem, it is that this was not on my monotonous agenda." He took a deep breath. "What bothers me is that I cannot comprehend this and one thing must you know throughout the duration of our physical and verbal contact is that, I _do not _take kindly to that which I do not understand."

She was silent and he counted her heartbeats. He listened to the deep, slow movements of the blood rushing through her veins. It was the sound of something deep, a water sound of that of a baby in a womb; the sound trapping him as though he was drowning. It was a smooth and lull sound, that which could calm him if he allowed it. He had never said so many things to a woman in decades. He had said more to Sakura in a day than he would have said to Tami in months.

It was unintentional, as though his mouth had a mind of its own and decided it wanted to release something. He wasn't opening up to her but he wasn't keeping his mouth shut like he usually did either. She didn't reply and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know why. He had hurt her feelings, he could tell by the way her heart beat seemed to dip into the rhythm of pain. It began to sing a song of hurt and loss and a fresh cut. It was a sad song, an agonizing one that as he listened, its music began to haunt him. The beat began nesting in his seams and her pain, deep as the movements at the bottom of a river, slowly going through cracks, taking refuge. He drew his face out of his hands and looked up at her.

She was looking down in her lap. Her eyes empty and her features wielding an emotion so heavy it was the first he had ever seen it on a human face. It was powerful, as though she was seeing into a past so horrifying it was trapping her there. He called her name but she didn't flinch, trapped in some past morbid memory that gripped her so hard her body was trembling. She continued to stare at her lap with tears blossoming in her eyes. He called her name again.

"Sakura," he said.

Her body shook and she looked up as though someone just shocked her. She looked around and smiled weakly.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to space out like that."

"I could only imagine," he responded over the ringing bell.

He could tell she was tired; she had to be after what she had experienced. Shikamaru did say she needed to rest anyways and it was best that he took her home now.

He rose with that of finality as if, now something solid was going to happen. He dusted off his jeans and sighed. He was getting himself into a deep hole that he was going to die trying to get out of. He knew it; he saw it dead ahead of him. His next movements would, without a doubt, change the course of the things he had planned to do concerning her.

He walked out and made a call, very short and brief and then he came back into view. He took up her bag. He needed to start moving before he changed his damn mind, realized he had lost every bit of sense he had ever had and gone crazy.

"Alright, let's get you home," he said.

"That's ok; really I mean it this time. Ino can bring me home,"

"Well I don't want Ino to take you home." he replied. "You need to get used to me whether you like it or not and if you continue to reject my selfless offers, you will regret it." he told her bluntly.

"I do not want your subconscious pity." She said honestly. "I see it every time you glanced at me since I've been sitting here. You want to ask me if I've been through something terrifying and you want to help me without actually looking like you want to help me. Please, don't do it." she begged her voice low and fragile, wavering with emotions yet a hint of sarcasm.

Her words didn't bounce of him. It seeped into his skin and he grinded his teeth together. "Then make this easy for me," he said swallowing his pride.

She looked at him and tears glazed her eyes and she nodded. She pressed her hands on either side of her and slipped off the bed. Her feet felt like jelly and were unable to keep her up. He grasped her forearm carefully.

"Don't tell me you cannot stand," he seethed.

She was silent.

"Why?"

"I don't know," she stuttered. "They fell like they've melted. I don't want to complicate this."

"Don't worry; it's my entire fault to begin with." He reasoned. "I will just have to carry you." he said nonchalantly. Her mouth opened and his other hand smoothly went over it. "Don't say anything, you're starting to annoy me." he explained.

He scooped her off the floor simply and began carrying her. School was over; he knew that since the bell rang minutes before. Her hand dropped around his shoulder and he moved sleekly and easily with her. She remained silent yet her heart was thudding, beating like African drums on a ceremonial night. He walked out of the nurses' office and out into the halls. People stared hard.

"If it makes you feel better, it would be best to look away from the preying eyes." he whispered in her ears.

Instantly her head buried in the crook of his neck as though she was trying to make herself appear invisible. Her scent was something deep and sensuous. The smell of her soul so clean like a stream in a garden from the Azuchi-Momoyama Period, it was unlike anything he had ever smelt. It was unlike anything he had ever tasted on the tip of his tongue, unlike anything he ever thought existed within the realm. He heard a sneer rip through the air then a screech or rather a high powered shriek of utter outrage. Tami.

He ignored it which was a pretty easy thing to do and continued walking. The controversy he was causing at the school, it would probably explode. He hoped that this didn't get out in the media but he knew his friends had this under control. They had his back every time, all the time. He entered the parking lot and walked over to his car where Sakamoto, his 'driver' was waiting for him. He moved his head telling him to open the car door and he eased her onto the back seat before going in himself. She sat there and rubbed her eyes.

"Relax," he told her sensually, taking her hand and pulling her down so she could lie down on him.

She didn't object because she must be tired. To have something so odd happen to you in a day was bound to tire anyone out. She rested on him and he just sat there trying to control himself. He told Sakamoto where to go and he nodded.

He listened to her heartbeat and knew exactly when she finally fell into a deep sleep. She shifted and turned, now lying on her back. Her serene closed eyes gazed at the ceiling. He looked down at her and nodded. Agreeing with something she had indeed said to him in the past. Subconsciously he did pity her but not with her health. He pitied her for what she had to endure for being a part of his world. He pitied her for what she would go through for being tied to him. She was going to go through so much pain that she didn't deserve and so much stress. She was going to be targeted and subjected to harsh judgments she didn't know creatures were capable of.

He leaned down, hovering above her face. He stared almost hoping her eyes would open and stop him. He held his breath, afraid that if he did breathe it would disturb her. That made him such a paradox.

His lips brushed against hers, touching them as light as a feather. He wanted to know what her lips felt like since he had been sitting there staring at her. They were soft like clouds and tender like a blossomed rose petal. Lips of bliss. He knew too that he just stole the poor girls' first kiss.

_**There you have it! Working is killing me, on weekends I leave for work at 10 and I don't come home until 8:30pm! I don't know how people do this and I have school work. Like wtf, why do I have school work in the summer? They need to stop doing this shit to us! We NEED to protest around the world! **_

_**Loving you guys with my exhausted self at 2 AM,**_

_**D.V **_


	16. Chapter 16

_Here we are again my awesome fans! So uh, when I wrote this chapter months ago I had no idea it was this long, seriously, it's 22 pages. I seriously thought about splitting it into two but it just wouldn't really work and it would slow our progress so I left it. I hope it's not too long and if it is, I'll try to ensure that one this long doesn't happen again. I mean, lot's of stories have really long chapters right? Read and enjoy! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Sixteen] **

Sakura sat down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She just looked without any purpose, any goal or aim. She was exhausted and as usual, she'd been crying. Rin had a fluctuating schedule, sometimes she was home and other times she just wasn't. She didn't think that when Rin wasn't home things would be so hard for her. Atona honestly and truthfully hated her now. The weekly maid, Ramoki who came to clean and cook when Rin wasn't home was told not to come in today. Atona told her that she had to do all the cleaning and cooking. It had been such a long time since she did things that strenuous her entire body was literally vibrating, her nerves on end and jumping. Her heart was weak and she hated to admit how much of a problem she had with the SA node and Bundle of His inside of her heart.

She had gone to her appointment like she was expected to and Tsunade said it was alright if she didn't stop by the hospital but just go straight home. When she came home, Atona was so harsh and mean, breaking her heart and hurting her feelings. She had done everything Atona had told her to and had tried to explain to her that she was trying her best to stay out of her way but it wasn't working. Atona didn't believe her and didn't even tell her thanks or anything for all the hard house work she had done. In all of this, she was always the bad person and it was as if she wasn't trying hard enough.

She really was trying to stay away from them but fate just kept pushing all the people she shouldn't talk to and her in one room together. She wasn't mean and she wasn't rude so she couldn't bring herself to ignore good people who spoke to her. She was trying to please the right and left side of her world. Sasuke wouldn't allow her not to talk to him. He just wouldn't.

Due to how anxious she was right now, even though exhausted, she couldn't fall asleep. She was currently just trying to calm herself down. The sun was setting and the sky was glazed in reds and hues of oranges. She looked through her open window and the birds that flew past. Sometimes she wished she was a bird, to fly freely and see all the colors of the world. She wished she could soar to new heights of places or travel across the world without worrying if Tsunade would be a call away or if she would run out of medication or if she would have some sort of attack or allergic reaction to the plane food or trip and break a bone or something. She couldn't go anywhere because anywhere but to school or somewhere in town. Anywhere else would just end in disaster.

She fell back on her bed and sighed.

_It seems that no matter where we go, we can't escape it _her inner said.

_It doesn't look like it but we have friends here which we really never had before. _She reasoned.

_But look at the price we're paying for it Sakura. This girl pushed your body to its limit right now, you're all jumpy and it's taking so much work just to keep your heart beat on the right track. This isn't good, _

_Maybe it's always going to be this way for us. There is something horrible about us, something selfish and justified to hate and that's why they don't like us._

_There is nothing wrong with us! We are not bad people! You're not a bad person!_

_I must be Sakura, I must be because if I wasn't things wouldn't be like this for us. _Sakura reasoned.

She did believe that. Majority of people didn't hate by first glance and she knew, she knew there was something about her not to like. She knew she was imperfect; there were so many flaws in her she was like Swiss cheese. However, there was something so deeply imperfect and horrible about her that as people saw her they didn't like her. She wondered how Ino had never seen it, or Tsunade or Tenten. She knew Tenten would see it soon, whatever it was, and then she too wouldn't be her friend anymore. No one really wanted to ever be her friend, she'd been an outcast all her life.

She closed her eyes in sadness. She would never tell Ino but she wasn't sad that she was going to die soon. It made everything seem alright in the end to know that soon fate would cut her off from this pain, granted she didn't want to be cut off from the world since it was such a beautiful place but it would be better off without her anyways. It took some time but soon she was fast asleep.

_It was so bright, as though the sky and the sun were both made of blinding mercury. The waters were crystal clear, the shells sprung out across the shore the most exotic and beautiful she had ever seen. The sand felt like heaven, so soft, white and smooth almost as if each step she took it was massaging her feet. She looked around at how beautiful the place was, how tropical with the palm trees lining up near the shore. They looked like they were aiming for the skies, aiming for something bigger and better than all that was below it. The wind was clean, crisp and warm. It touched her face with such tenderness and blew her long hair back. It was gently filling her heart with passion and something far greater than just being content. Besides the calming sound of the tender waves brushing against the sandy shore, birds could be heard in the distant heavens of the tropical island. _

_She looked down and realized she was in a swimsuit and covered by a mildly see through Ralph Lauren green Tunic swimsuit cover. Everything was so tropical, so perfect and unlike anything she had ever seen. She sighed and walked along the beautiful sand, feeling it tickle her toes and make her feel as though she was really in paradise to think and have time to herself. As she continued to walk and figure up ahead in the direction she was walking continued to become more prominent. _

_She frowned. Was someone else inside her paradise? Did they come to turn it into a nightmare? She stopped, feeling fear creep up on her. She didn't want this to end; she didn't want this celestial place to turn into something only found in the deepest corners of darkness. Her feet and heart however, got her moving again. Her mind wished to stop, her fear wanted her to run but her heart and feet continued to move, going closer to the flaw in her paradise. _

_Her heart relaxed when the figure became clear. It was a boy, his hair so black with spikes, his fingers attractively slender resting on the sand in a pair of Hawaiian shorts. He was looking into the blinding mercury sky unaware of her nearing presence. She wondered if the light so bright above didn't hurt his eyes, he hadn't stopped looking up. Comfort and a feeling that told her it was alright filled her and she sat down beside him. He didn't move or even look at her. _

"_Why are you here?" he asked curiously, his voice flat and smooth. _

"_I don't know." she told him honestly. "What am I doing here?" she asked self-consciously. "Where is this place?" _

"_It's whatever you want it to be." He told her. "It's hell or heaven, whichever you prefer."_

"_What is it for you?" she asked looking out into the sea._

"_Hell." he said. "What is it for you?" _

"_Heaven." she said distantly. "We're not seeing the same thing?" she asked. _

"_No," he replied still looking up. _

_She noticed how familiar it seemed for them to talk. It wasn't as if they were saying many things to each other but she felt a pull towards him. She felt a deeper connection to him somehow. It was something that seemed hard to explain. _

"_Do you want to see what I see?" she asked tenderly. _

"_You could tell me about it," he admitted, his voice suddenly strained and vulnerable. _

_She nodded, still not looking at him either. What he looked like didn't seem to matter much. She didn't need to know what he looked like when she knew so much about him already. _

"_It's very bright, the sand feels like clouds. The water is clear, so clear no matter how deep you go you can still see the bottom. The shells are so white and pretty, so much calcium I think. The air smells nice too; it smells like the tropics with love and tenderness." She told him. "Don't you want to see that?" she asked. _

"_It does sound better than this," he told her, "but if I could see heaven, I wouldn't be seeing hell in the first place." _

"_You can't see what I see?"_

"_No," he said sadly, "I can't… not anymore." _

"_What does hell look like?" she asked after a few minutes of silence. _

"_Everything that heaven isn't." he said apathetically. "The sand is made of ash; shells are replaced by rotting and decomposing insects. The sky is as black as darkness, there is not much light here. The moon is out but it's yellow, with a smile and fangs that drip blood into the sea. The water is blood, so dark it's almost unreal. Trees are rotting corpses piled high or the trees that were once here now burned out and are black as coal and the air is the scent of what you would expect it to be. Rancid." _

_She was quiet. "I'm sorry you have to see that." she said. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked. _

"_You don't want to help me," he said. _

"_I do." she said softly. "Please let me."_

_He moved then, his hand letting go of the sand, yet his head still looked up into the sky. _

"_Hold my hand," he whispered. _

_She didn't hesitate to intertwine her fingers with his. She wasn't wrong in trusting him. He held on tightly as though if he didn't hold on tightly to her, she would change her mind and rip her hand away. _

"_Stay with me?" he asked all his vulnerability as clear as the water in front of her. _

_She nodded. "I will." she replied. "As long as you want me to," she said softly. _

_She looked out at the sea with a deeper meaning then looked at their intertwined fingers sitting between them on the side. Her right hand had intertwined with his left. His hand was warm and his fingers soft. He held on tight and so did she. They said nothing for a long time and she admired and awed at the scene around her. When he spoke she jumped slightly. She was so caught up in the silence; she hadn't expected him to speak. _

"_Will you come back here?" he asked. _

"_What do you mean?" she asked in return._

"_When you awake from this manifested reality." He said. "Will you come back to hold my hand?" _

"_I don't want leave,"_

"_But you will." He told her. "You must leave, you're not meant to be here, this…isn't your world." He told her. "When you fall back to sleep, do you promise to come back to hold my hand?" he asked. "Even once?"_

_She was silent for a long time. Her eyes filled with tears that trickled down her face silently. The thought of leaving him to face hell all alone without her to be there for him broke her heart into pieces. The wind brushed across her face in sympathy. "Can I come back when I leave?"_

"_The door to here closes sometimes," he told her. _

"_I promise to come back every time it's open," she promised softly._

"_It is time for you to go," he whispered painfully, "if the door closes when you're in here, you will never get out."_

"_Then I want to stay here."_

"_You can't," he insisted emotionlessly. _

_His voice was so familiar. It sounded so much like home, so much like a voice she had heard for a long time. It was so smooth and light yet thick like velvet but somehow managing to have no emotion attached to it at all. _

"_Why not?" she asked. "I want to stay here with you." _

_He sighed. "You need to wake up now." he said. "Just, don't let go." He said. _

_She squeezed his hand and everything went black. _

Sakura shot up her bed, gasping and clawing for breath. Her hand flew to her chest and her eyes wondered around in panic. She forced herself to calm down since she was just in her room. Her drew her hands over her face and drew in a shaky breath. Her hand felt course and gritty. The dream seemed so real, so true that waking in her room actually sent shock through her. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably. She sat there for a while until her heart was brought under control and she wasn't shaking anymore.

Her body tingled just like her right hand. She switched on her beside lamp and looked at her right hand. Her finger nails were caked up with white sand and her palm had a little bit of sand in it. Her burrs furred as she blinked. She scampered out of her bed and stumbled when her feet felt course. She rubbed them together and almost screamed. Her feet were covered in sand too. She ran into her bathroom and turned on the lower part of the shower. She washed her hands and instantly started washing off her feet. She couldn't understand what was happening. She just had a _dream _it was not as though she was physically in such a place. She looked down and staggered back in the shower. She was in a bathing suit with the Ralph Lauren cover. She stripped off the clothes instantly as though they were burning her and ran out of the shower. She pulled on some clothes, caught her hair in a pony tail and all but fled from her room. She slammed the door shut and bolted down the stairs as fast as she could.

"Aunt Rin!" she called in panic.

She was going crazy. She had officially lost her mind, sleep walking or something. However, even if she had been sleep walking a beach was miles away from Konoha. She called her aunt again but she got no reply. The house was hauntingly quiet, not a sound or movement about the place. She felt the hairs stand on the back of her neck. She started to feel like the entire house was watching her and her movements; observing her a bit too close. She was starting to feel trapped inside the house and so she made her way to the front door, slipping on her shoes and hoddie and walking out the door. She didn't know the community but she didn't want to stay inside the house all by herself at night. What just happened to her was too weird, too creepy for her to be brave enough to stay there.

She turned and made sure the locked the door tight. When she turned around she let out the loudest shriek she ever heard, she staggered back shaking like a leaf, her hand clutched to her heart. She felt the world shattered for a split second.

He held his hand up and alarm, showing her that he clearly had nothing to clobber her with. He looked around suspiciously before he stared at her, caught off guard by her horrible scream.

She was gasping. "Good Lord," she whispered.

He pressed his lips together and waited.

"It's just you," she said in relief sliding down the door to sit on the hard cold floor. "I need to sit down, you scared the living daylights out of me." she told him.

"Whoa, don't panic," he said frankly, his voice holding that tint of sarcasm.

She looked up at him through long lashes and managed to smile. He seemed to enjoy teasing her. She took deep breaths and stood. He had frightened every single thing out of her she thought he was a ghost. Her head spun slightly as dizziness took her. She was a colossal coward and she just wasn't expecting anyone at all. He just came out of nowhere, taking her by surprise. She was shaking like a leaf with how badly he had almost scared all the hair off her head.

"Are you alright?" he asked carefully, pretending as if she would explode and scream murder.

"I'm not going to scream again," she informed him softly sticking her tongue out. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," he informed her, "but you're alright?"

She looked at him quizzically. He looked at her simply. She stood there for a while, looking down at her shoes and waited.

"Yes, I'm alright, more or less." She replied. "Why are you here?" she fumbled.

"I told you it was a long story. It's not as though I would _like_ to be here." he stated.

She looked up at him then nodded. That just stung and at the moment she wasn't in her right mind. She knew he hated every darn moment with her and whatever reason he was really around her for was still a mystery. It bothered her that he disliked her so much it made her extremely uncomfortable. One minute they were on good terms and another minute he just hated everything about her and couldn't stand her. She smacked her lips together and forced a smile.

"Well, I'm sure you want to get back to what you were doing." She told him, her voice lower than she had wanted it to be. She started moving down the steps and headed to the gate.

She walked out the gate and started moving down the sidewalk. She stuffed her hands into her jacket and continued walking. She really had no idea where she was going but she didn't want to be in that house and she didn't want to be around Sasuke if he really didn't want her to be. The last thing she wanted to do was pest him with her presence even though to thought of having someone to talk to right now didn't seem too bad. If they were friends than maybe but they weren't so she would just have to suffice with her loneliness. She took a deep breaths and her mind trailed.

She couldn't understand that dream, it was so crazy and weird. Something like that had never happened to her before; if it had she was sure she would remember. Someone just didn't forget something like that.

"You do know that was _exceptionally _rude of you,"

She jumped and tripped over her foot, stumbling forward like an idiot. She turned around and he was standing there, hands tucked in his suit pocket and his eyes looking right at her. His pools were as shallow as tinted windows. You could see the window; you couldn't see anything that was behind it.

Her heart sputtered like a worn out engine and she took a deep breath. Her burrs furred, confused as to what he was talking about. She hadn't done anything or as usual, had she? She was sure he had something much better to do or something more worthy of his attention.

"What did I do?"

"You walked away,"

She gapped at him. "You told me you didn't want me around you." She told him. "I thought you wanted me to leave."

"I implied that I wanted to withdraw _my own _presence and not yours." He told her.

She looked down and shifted her feet. "Technically it is the same thing."

"Don't get smart with me." he replied simply, noticing the smile that eased onto her face. "I can't have you walking these streets alone at nights, it's not pretty the things that could happen to you. Instead of walking alone, let's go somewhere and talk." He said.

She stood there and stared at him like he had lost his mind. He could be so charming when he wanted to be. She looked around and shifted.

"Sure." She said. "You don't hate me anymore?"

He rolled his eyes. "Let's not talk about it, it's still under much scrutiny." He told her walking towards her with a smirk.

They walked in silence for a while and she kept her head down in the night as she walked beside him. She didn't know what to say and the last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself or force him to talk when he wasn't ready. Walking so close beside him made her heart beat really fast and a light tint come across her cheeks. She glanced at him from the side of her eyes and looked away the second he caught her staring.

"You can look if you want to." He said simply. "I stare at you all the time." he said easily.

Her eyes widened and she looked at him in surprise. He shrugged as though it was really nothing. There was the breaking of a twig and she jumped, looking across the street to see one of the neighbors in their front yard. He glanced at her and her heart rammed in her chest. Since that dream she was on edge and you could say just a little bit on the paranoid side.

"You do?"

"Let's not pretend like this is new news," he said rolling his eyes.

She smiled secretly before looking at him and then away. How weird.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.

"You'll see," he replied. "How's that paranoia doing you?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. That's the reason I'm even here when I have better things I could be doing. Something happened to you tonight."

"How do you know that?"

"That's not the point." He replied.

"I know," she said under her breath, "but isn't it unfair that you get to ask questions and I don't?" she asked.

"I never said you couldn't ask,"

"But you won't answer,"

"It's not my fault you're asking the wrong questions." He said reasonably.

She went silent and he sighed. She couldn't fathom what was happening at the moment.

"Alright, chose any question wisely and I will answer. Is that fair enough Sakura?" he asked, rolling her name off her tongue so tenderly.

She smiled. "What were you doing before you came here, no, why did you come here?" she asked.

"I was in a meeting." He answered vaguely. "I felt something, something extremely wrong in the balance of things, something was somewhere it shouldn't be and it was you. Instinct told me to come here so here I am. It sounds like complete bullshit doesn't it? But as you can clearly see it's not for I am here." He replied.

"How do you know something like that?"

He smirked. "I don't have all the answers. You're the one who knows what I'm feeling and as a matter of fact, I answered two questions a while ago." He told her.

She flushed and pouted. He made a point. "Alright, I guess it's my turn."

"What happened?"

"Is that important?"

"If it wasn't I wouldn't be asking." He replied crossing the barren street to the other side.

She followed him up to a gate that had a sign that said clearly **NO ENTRY. **The gate had a big old black lock on it. Sasuke took it in his hand and did a simple, feeble tug and it broke right off. He pushed the gate open and did a gestured, telling her to go in first.

"But it says no entry," she stuttered.

He ripped the sign off and threw it to the side.

"Now it doesn't and it's open." He told her simply.

She hesitated but couldn't help but laugh. This was like, illegal wasn't? This was government property that was clearly off limits.

"You're not going to get hurt." He told her irritated. "Just go in already."

She took a deep breath and walked through the gate. He came in behind her and with the broken lock, managed to close the gate again. They were on a nice, paved out road with lots and lots of trees on both sides. Everlasting green trees, so tall towards the sky, reaching for the stars with braches spread out so wide to accept the soft blowing wind in the night. The paved road ahead of her seemed to go on forever, never ending, lined out by a forest on either side. The colors that sprung out at her and around her on either side were amazing. They started walking down the paved road, their feet making soft sounds along with the swaying branches of enthusiastic leaves.

"Any time you're ready to begin." He said smoothly.

She didn't know what to tell him or even how to explain what had happened. It made absolutely no sense and it had frightened her. It had seemed so real, so true like everything else around her, as true as the breeze that touched her cheeks with love at the very moment. However, when she woke up she knew it was all a dream, yet somehow evidence of where she was and even who she was, appeared with her. That was impossible and she knew, even if she did tell him he wouldn't believe her. She knew there was something weird and unnatural between them, that much was obvious even though he hated it, but this was just too weird and unnatural and it scared the hell out of her.

"I had a bad dream." She told him. "I don't remember all of it…but it was… really weird and creepy."

"Then tell me what you remember,"

"The dream wasn't weird at all, it was really nice actually." She corrected. "In my dream, I was on the beach talking to someone. When I woke up, I had on the same clothes and my hands and feet were covered in sand. I didn't know what to do, I panicked."

He nodded.

"Did this person have a name or a face?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "Do you think-"

"Something you should know from now Sakura, nothing is impossible in the world you're walking into." He cut her off.

"No, I never saw his face, he was looking somewhere else, up in the sky and I don't know his name. He never told me and I never asked, it didn't seem important. I felt like I knew him beyond that."

"It was a _he_?" he asked.

She nodded. "It was a boy, he was really nice too. I don't remember what we really talked about much or what he said before I woke up but I'm sure it was something important." She said thinking about it.

"How did you feel when you woke up?"

"Disappointed," she replied instantly.

"So you're cheating on me?" he asked glancing at her. "This is- I don't even know what to say and here I thought you were the one girl that could stay faithful to me. I'm heartbroken Sakura Haruno, completely and utterly heartbroken." He said.

She laughed. "It's shocking how your heartbroken face looks _so much _like your passive face. I almost couldn't tell the difference." She said playing along. "I didn't mean to cheat on you, it just…happened."

"So it's over? Just like that?" he asked, faking a sob.

Her giggles increased. "Just like that."

"That's cold, even for me." he said.

She rolled her eyes at him and he smirked, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"You'll find another, who can love you more than I can."

"You're just saying that. You cheated on me, I gave you everything. I'm famous, I gave you my charming charisma, my completely hot body and my sweet, sweet face. How can you not love me?"

She had to stop to hold her stomach from laughing. She looked at him smirking at her with his hands in his linen pants. "Uh, you're not rich enough." She laughed.

He did a fake pained expression and touched his heart. "Now that was just downright hurtful." He said.

She grinned. "I'm cold like that." she shot back with a wicked smile.

He chuckled as they started walking again. "I was so distracted by you breaking my heart that I almost forgot what we were talking about." he teased. "You were disappointed, meaning?"

She tried to catch her breath. "It was all a dream, it felt so real to sit there in the sand talking to someone on an island I had never seen. Nothing like this has ever happened to me. I mean, I feel like I'm going crazy which when you think about it and the hole I've dug myself into, It's quite possible. I feel a little lost right now." she confessed.

"That's why I'm here," he stated.

"Really?" she asked taking a deep breath. "I don't want to be rude but you said it yourself, you have much better things to be doing. If I can help it, I would like to lessen all of this as much as possible. You're here because you felt like you had to be or something like that, but you didn't have to come." She said softly.

"Stop worrying about that," he soothed, "you're thinking far too hard."

"I'm not." She objected. "I'm thinking about you, I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything like that. I really hate it," she insisted.

"And I said, stop worrying about it." he repeated. "If it matters so much to you, at this moment in time I am here out of free will." He gritted.

She stopped and looked at him. He was lying and she knew it, she saw right through that. She didn't know how or even why she knew that, but she did.

"Be honest,"

He sighed. "Just give me some time," he told her simply, "in time things are bound to change." He reasoned more to himself that to her. "And you're not that bad even though you just broke my heart back there." he said.

She looked ahead of her at the never ending paved road ahead of them and laughed. It seemed like the walking would never end and they would never reach were ever they were supposed to. He stepped off the pavement and tipped his head to the side with a smirk before walking. She didn't question him, only came off the road and started following him. He wound through bushes and held braches out for her to walk. She smiled and he rolled his eyes. The night was cool and silent, as though the world was giving them all the time they needed to 'talk' or whatever it is that Sasuke actually wanted to do.

The knot that was tied in her stomach since they started walking was slowly starting to unwind. They came up to a large clearing, the crass low cut and lush, trees and beautiful lining around it, sprouting amazing colors, colors she had never seen flowers in before. They were so bright, neon pinks, blues, greens, yellows, reds, browns, hues of oranges, purples and a stunning moonlight glows. There was a park bench to the side of the clearing, right in front of dark green shrubs. The moon light illuminated every single plant life with rays and streaks of silver light, almost as if it was coming from the heavens.

"What is this place?" she breathed out.

He smirked. "It's Almarkham." he replied.

"Almarkham?"

"It's a very… private place," he told her, "that's really all it is. Have a seat, anywhere," he shrugged propping himself onto the grass. He folded his legs into a meditative position.

She went to the seat and sat down neatly and stared about, wondering if what she was seeing was real. The place was amazing, holding her in awe. The place seemed unreal, like it was a garden for some sort of life beyond her; above her. An owl hooted in the distance, sounding some sort of reverence about the place. The place screamed celestial, seemed so magical.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Well," he began, preparing himself, "I've decided that we need to talk in the sense of knowing one another, that's all it is." He said.

"But it's late," she objected.

"And you've already slept, which means you're wide awake right now. Besides, you're the one who decided to walk, I'm just making sure you don't get into trouble." he told her.

"What are we going to talk about?"

"Anything you want us to," he told her, lying down on his back and looking up at the full moon.

"Tell me something," she said tenderly, her voice barely even audible to her own ears.

"What would you like me to tell you?" he asked.

"I don't know something I normally wouldn't know."

He was silent and she looked at him, curiously and innocently, though he couldn't see her face.

"Almarkham is a gateway into a different kind of world; it is only open to that of my kind and one of the few things we have rooted into Earth. It traps the light of the moon, its energy breathes life into this place. Think of it as a halo," he told her.

"It traps the moons light?"

"It does," he said. He sat up and leaned back, using his hands to keep himself up. "Think of this place as the entire world, and the moon is the sun here, the only sun." he said. "The moon represents many things here but it's life, though tonight it isn't very appealing to some."

"Your world?"

"Is this a quiz?" he asked.

She smiled. "I'm just curious," she laughed.

"Yes my world, completely different from yours." He smirked, her laughter tender, sweet and almost contagious. He liked hearing her laugh…maybe he was infatuated with it.

"The moon is beautiful now, why wouldn't people like it?"

"Full moon is for working black magic and a half moon is for working white." he said simply. "Some things are just scheduled like day and night." he replied lying back on the floor. "Your turn."

"Everything I know, I'm sure you know too."

"I doubt that,"

She thought for a moment. "My life isn't really interesting, nothing really happens to me."

"Then tell me about you as a person," he said calmly, soothing her irrational nerves.

"I love flowers," she said sweetly, "I love red ones, yellow ones, white ones and purple ones. My favorite flower is the Tuscany Superb,"

"Why?"

"I don't know," she said, "I just think it's really beautiful though it doesn't grow here. I've only seen it once when my mother came back from America years ago, she had one in her hair. It was really beautiful."

"What's your mother like?"

She was silent and it seemed deafening. If she knew what her mother was like, she could tell him but she had no clue what her mother was like. She hadn't even seen her mother in over five years and even a little bit before that, everything was really fogy. At one point her mother was loving -from what she could remember- always there for her but then even that changed and she became a totally new person. Her mother was psychotic, that's what all the doctors, therapists and other people said. That's why she was locked up in confinement, probably in asylum by now. Sakura had no idea and frankly, she was too scared to find out.

Her mother was a topic she never really talked about after all the drama started to go down. After life stopped being what was for her, her mind tried not to dwell on the past so much. When the fights started, the cursing, the court hearings, the divorce, the killing attempts… she never felt like talking about it. So what could she tell him? She couldn't tell him any of that, that was something pathetic and the last she wanted to do was give him more reason to slightly feel bad for her. She bit her bottom lip; she didn't know how to answer that question.

"What's your mother like?" she asked, skipping his question.

"That depends on which mother you're asking me about." he said.

"You're adopted?" she asked incredulously.

He chuckled. "It's a bit more complicated than that." he replied. "My current mother is as eccentric and bright as I am dull and dark." He replied. "She's just a mother as any other I suppose."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you wouldn't though I fail to understand how you _couldn't _understand that."

"Why don't I understand?" she pouted.

He sat up. "My answers are most times evading and very vague; you just have to piece everything together. I do apologize for its inconvenience." he said.

She frowned. "Tell me the story behind your two mothers."

"That's more of a bedtime story."

She gapped at him and tried to put on a brave face. "Alright, tell me about _your world_, what exactly is it? What makes it so different from this? Come on Sasuke give me something to work with."

He sighed. "My world, as anyone who's not from it calls it the 'Supernatural' world. I hate using that word so much." He said, saying 'supernatural' with disgust. "It's everything you all wish your world would be. It's everything that is magical and different. It's where all these creatures, places and mythical things you create because your world doesn't satisfy you, actually exists. My world is where 'love', isn't the closest thing to magic that we have," he told her.

"Are you-"

"Yes I am serious. I know, it hardly seems plausible but considering what you've been experiencing, I'm sure it almost makes some sense." he replied. "Where I come from, mortals do not exist and or suffice. We look like you because, that was the deal, but we're not you. When we are in our own lands, we're _us_ and we look like things you have never seen. Where I come from is called Kamalpa. None of our land actually remains here but such is life. That was Her decision for us." He said.

She sighed and he shrugged.

"I don't understand,"

"At least you tried." he said simply and uncaringly before lying back on the grass. "Why are you sitting so far away from me?" he asked.

"I don't know,"

He was silent for a while. "Come beside me," he said, "then tell me what you feel."

She hesitated before she rose and shuffled over to him. She didn't know what he expected to achieve. She sat down next to him then lay on her back as well, looking up into the beautiful sky on the grass that felt as light as clouds and sweet, rubbing tension away from her. She turned her head so she could look at him even though he wasn't looking at her. She felt something faint inside of herself, some faint sort of desire to hold his hand and breathe in his scent. She felt a sort of wondering, she wondered what it would be like to seep into the grass with him.

"I feel…"

"Me." he said, swallowing his pride. "That is what you feel. You feel me."

"I do-don't-"

"Stop saying you don't understand. You honestly don't give yourself enough credit to try to begin with. Relax, this isn't a test, there is no right or wrong here." he told irritated. "There is no way you can't understand this," he said.

She thought for a moment and she wasn't stupid, she knew what he meant. Since the night arrived, nothing seemed to be making any sense at all. She was too tense, too afraid of not saying or doing the right thing. She was too uptight, too scared to be stupid. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to relax. She felt the knot in her stomach completely untangle.

"Am I feeling what you are?"

"Partially I would believe seeing I feel what you do."

"How do you know what I feel?"

"On my own accord, I would never feel such fright and loneliness." He told her. "You're afraid to go home."

"How is that possible?"

"You need to stop questioning things so much, there isn't an answer for everything."

"Sasuke,"

"I do apologize," he said apathetically.

"I don't understand what's happening _between us_. That is what I don't understand." she finally whispered.

"Fate found it justified to bind us together. You're thinking far too hard, just let ride." He told her before doing something completely unexpected.

He took her hand in his, entangling his fingers with hers. His flesh was warm and soothing, the heat traveling all the way into and through her body, reaching her head and toes. Her body shivered from the sudden warmth his hand provided. Her eyes widened but he acted as though what he did was something so simply it didn't need any of his attention.

"What are you so afraid of?"

She made a stubble sound. "The house. I'm afraid of being in there alone now, to fall asleep and have something as weird as that happen to me again. It's frightening and I don't know how to deal with it at all, I feel like I'm haunted or something. Things have been going on with my mind, I'm even afraid of _me_ right now. I don't want to be crazy." She whispered.

_I don't want to end up like my mother. _

_And that's not going to happen. _Her inner said.

_Lying has never been your calling. _Sakura mumbled.

"Nothing will happen to you,"

"I don't feel that way. The house is big and empty, I'm there all alone." She whispered out. "What do you do when you dream something like this when it frightens you?"

"Man up and keep dreaming until it makes some sense." he said. "But you're not me."

"I'm really not." She agreed.

No one really knew to what extent this did frighten her to dream and wake up with the dream seeping off of you. It was unreal and it made her feel a bit crazy around the edges. She hardly trusted herself as it was to begin with. She didn't know what to make of this and she couldn't act like it didn't happen, it did. Her mind had been trapped in fantasy and she had believed it, she had actually mistaken it for reality when it wasn't.

He squeezed her hand.

"Tell you what." he said. "How about I help you with that?"

"What can you do?"

"You can sleep right here, right now, with me." he said simply.

"Wh-what?" He didn't say anything and she halved never expected him to. "What are you ta-talking about?"

"Or are you afraid of me?"

"I'm not…well I don't think so." She stuttered. "How will you get me to sleep?"

"You're taking on my offer?" he asked amused.

She squeezed his hand back. "I trust you, we're friends now." she said.

She did trust him even though he didn't want this. She couldn't stop herself from trusting him. He was making an effort and he was here and that counted for something far bigger than he knew. He came to her house because he thought something was wrong with her and for the moment she appreciated everything. She felt the same as she had in the dream, like there was something else between them and pull towards him as he had a pull towards her. She felt like she could trust him with what she deemed important. She didn't know how or even why but that was just how she felt even though she hardly knew him.

"The amount of words I have and will speak to you are more words than anyone has ever heard from me at any given time. I am telling you to appreciate that as well as the fact that I am here, right now, in the middle of the night with you."

"I do," she said instantly, "I'm not taking any of this for granted I swear and I promise I'm not over thinking any of this, I'm just…thinking about right now." she whispered vulnerably. "What will you tell me?"

"A story." he said. "But you shall choose. Would you like a celestial story or one about my mothers'?"

"Celestial."

"Then I will tell you how we came to be here on Earth in hopes that you might fall asleep." He said.

He drew her closer to him until she was touching his side. He shifted and she curled on her side, facing him. He took a deep breath and she prepared herself. This was nice, without anything confusing just…someone there. She liked this even though she knew she shouldn't because he would never want someone like her and furthermore he was taken. She knew it made her a horrible person deep down and that rattled her and because of that, she refused to really enjoy this moment. She was trying her best to deny feeling anything like that. she didn't want to like the his toned, muscled body that seemed like a blanket of protection. She didn't allow herself to really dive in his smooth abyss of a voice.

"There are realms; other worlds besides this one. In the Celestial realm is where all the deities are. Most of them have their own worlds that they are deities for. Like how Allah or Brahman is said to be the god of earth. Asanephpa is the Goddess of Kamalpa, she is _our_ deity. She is called the Goddess of Depth in the Celestial realm. The story is that, all deities meet on a special day called the High Kitsu. They meet at White Virtue, a meeting venue in the realm to discuss the Order of Things.

"The meeting is held every six hundred human years. Asanephpa had been so caught up and so in love with her own world, Kamalpa, that she had missed over twenty High Kitsu meetings. It was as if she went off the grid. She was obsessed, very passionate and dedicated to us. She fed us everything that we could have ever wanted. Or at least, that was what I've been told. When the meeting was held, Hugo, the God of Flames, had ensured that Asanephpa didn't miss the meeting for the twenty first time. Missing so many, even one, was unheard of. During the meeting, she was seated across from the god of Humans, Rougonshi a man she had seen for the first time. He had taken over for the Palaki, the deity of Humans before him. Asanephpa wasn't married, as a matter of fact, she hadn't been in any form of intimate relationship in millennia's and at the time, needed nothing more to satisfy her than Kamalpa. Rougonshi fell in love with her when he saw her at the table for the first time."

She shifted. "Then what happened?"

"She fell in love with him after a time if that really wasn't obvious enough. Hugo was in love with Asanephpa to the point of obsession. He had been chasing her for decades but she wouldn't give him the time of day. They both resided in the same place in the Celestial world, almost like neighbors. When they got married, she did not move in with Rougonshi, she remained in her own confinements still. I've never understood that when I was being taught this in Kamalpa History, as to why she had never moved in with him or lay with him for the first three decades of their marriage. Hugo set his own world ablaze, igniting it with fires of rage. He destroyed his own world, his own planet; his own people. He was wrought with anger and jealousy, envious at how far he had let Asanephpa slip through his fingers. Asanephpa had never seen something so appalling and dark that she fled to her husband, taking Kamalpa with her. Worlds are held inside of very large, special objects which can be carried around.

"Over the coming years, Asanephpa did not even come out of Rougonshi's home; she stayed there day in and day out. She was afraid of Hugo, that his love for her had driven him to such terrifying lengths. Hugo had become even more violent, stating blatantly that he would kidnap Asanephpa if she ever left Rougonshi's home for then she would be vulnerable. Rougonshi and Asanephpa, loved each other completely and fully. They shared every single thing that they had, all of their possessions becoming one as they had become one.

"How we came to be in this world is that, they decided to do what would prove the magnitude of their love. They wanted to fuse their worlds together. Something like that had never been done. A world to a deity was life itself to them; it was the most valuable thing they had and the most meaningful. It took years of planning carefully before the worlds could fuse but even then things weren't perfect. Since Earth had people who couldn't really adjust to such a great change Asanephpa decided she would not create complication. She decided that she would take us and just, make earth our new home, bringing only bits and pieces of Kamalpa here. We were given human forms which are like clothes. They cover our true form so we can associate ourselves with you, granted that new species came about. Humans became main prey on our food chain and horrible things happened. Even with hiding us in Human skin, it didn't go smoothly.

"However, when worlds fuse, it cannot be changed. Two deities control one world, to keep the balance, the world cannot be split in two. Asanephpa and Rougonshi made it work, creating human laws and Kamalpa Earth laws for us. There are many, many laws. The fuse was a succes after the rough patches had been sized. There was a point where we were in our true forms but that created chaos and the balance was lost. We were beyond your own minds, humans couldn't come to terms with us or accept us and so that human memory slate was wiped clean and it was started over. I have a human form that I can only partially shed seeing I was born from both a human mother and a Kavazwalian mother." He said.

She was breathing deeply, hanging on to ever single world he uttered. The story was making her heart dip into a deep sleep along with his voice. She had grown to like the emptiness of his voice, the ice and hollowness of it that could be filled with so much. She could sense romance and passion, grief coming soon.

"Then what happened?" she whispered deeply.

"So you are listening," he mused.

"Yes," she breathed out, "please tell me what happened next." She begged.

"Hugo vanished." He told her. "He just disappeared in the Black Forest, the deepest place of darkness."

"I thought you said it was a magical place,"

"Evil exists everywhere, even with the gods. There is the God of evil himself, it keeps the balance. He vanished for centuries and Asanephpa could breathe easy. She began coming out, showing her face to the rest of the world who hadn't seen her in ages. This world was perfectly fine and at that time the Kamalpa system was completely different. It's was a Monarch at that time but eventually, Kavazwalians –as in us, people from Kamalpa- began to ignore the Kamalpa Earth Laws. Kavazwalian began roaming around in their own forms, terrorizing humans which was said to be the doing of Hugo who had gained power within the Black Forest. Wiping memories to such an extent was a hard task but again it had to be done. It took a fairly long time for them to get this world back under control.

"One day in the garden of Rovansochi, Asanephpa was walking around doing some self reflection when the darkness of Hugo grasped after her, boring a hole into the Celestial Realm and she accidentally fell through. She fell to Earth, splintering into a million pieces. Gods cannot survive on their worlds, not at their full power for even a second. She was knocked into an unconscious state and her spiritual body is said to embed itself into the soul of others and she resides there in slumber.

"What I've been told is that all her powers were sucked into her own soul and so when she shattered, it was not passed on to anyone. The theory is that if she stirs, her power will radiate to such extent that over a period of time, other human DNA might begin to change and they can have powers as well. No one knows whose soul she is in or even if she still reincarnates herself at all. Rougonshi who bore witness to the accident came after Asanephpa, dove after her. He was too late; she had fallen before he had. He fell and was instantly brought into slumber, unable to find Asanephpa at all. Subordinates and Elders in the Celestial world are the ones who look after this created realm since both of them have vanished and are unable to be found. I was told that when they had first vanished that it had been nothing but chaos here."

He glanced at her and noticed her eyes were closed but she wasn't sleeping he knew that. She was breathing evenly and calmly, waiting for him to continue.

"Hugo was found and executed by the Gods, his soul ripped apart as well so that he was unable to reincarnate himself. His remains were buried inside a special cave made of Xyphiliaboron which prevents him from waking, just in case he had thought of some other way to."

"What happened to Asanephpa and Rougonshi?" she asked sleepily.

She felt herself begin to slip into the act of sleep. She felt so tired and calmed as though Sasuke was singing to her a lullaby. He wasn't though and she knew it, he was telling her a story. It was such a sweet and tragic one. Soon she was captured by her subconscious, forced to sleep and put herself into the rest.

She felt it when he moved closer to her, wrapping his hands around her small body to provide warmth. She was too tired and weak to object and rested her head on his chest. Her body was close to his she had never felt so at peace and comfortable in all her life. She felt like she could fall asleep for hours and nothing at all would happen to her, she felt so safe trapped in his arms that held her with something around the lines of complete tenderness. Her heart tingled for a moment as she heard a haunting song begin to sing inside her head.

_**Wow, that was a long one right? I know and if it was inconvenient, I am SO SORRY! But there it is and you have reached the end of the chapter so, hurray? O.o I'm not entirely sure. I'm totally down with some sickness right now but I just had to update this so there it is. **_

_**Much Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	17. Chapter 17

_I'm so sorry! This is a totally long as chapter too! I know I said no more long chapters but…uh I've been skimming over what I've written and it looks like there are going to be a few long chapters coming up that I just can't afford to split. Please, please don't be angry! And If you are, tell me and I WILL rectify the situation somehow. I promise! **PM **me about it if you have a problem so I know what to do :)_

_Read and Enjoy! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Seventeen] **

He watched her as she slept, her hair now in an extremely lose pony tail, falling around her with her slightly parted lips. Since she fell asleep he hadn't taken his eyes off of her. He couldn't stop himself from watching her, counting her breaths and heartbeat. He couldn't explain it but he honestly could not think of any other place in any realm he would want to be. He felt as though there was nowhere else in the world he wanted to be but where he was.

He'd never felt this way before and by God he was really considering that it was time he stopped fighting. He'd been fighting all of what she made him feel, fighting how wonderfully perfect she smelt and sounded. He fought how she spoke in a tender and cooing voice, beckoning him and touching him so seductively, running her warm finger tips down his chest- metaphorically of course. He was fighting everything from the very start but every time he was around her he ended up giving in and fighting a little less.

Now, with her in his arms so perfect and innocent he didn't want to fight this at all. She was made for him was she not? If she wasn't made for him then she wouldn't have had his soul. He couldn't fight fate or change the Gods worldly design no matter how badly he wanted to. He didn't want any of this but it was here and he had no choice but to accept and work with it. This was both a blessing and a curse and he had been only focusing on the cursed part. However, lying there in a garden for the gods under the rising sun, holding perfection in his arms, focusing on the blessings didn't seem too bad either.

She shifted and released a heavy breath before her eyes fluttered open. She made a tender noise and closed her eyes again. Sleep was drawing her back in. He didn't think she would have slept for as long as she did. He thought maybe she would wake up in the night or something or come to her senses and tell him she wanted to go home. She was tried though and when one slept and had a nightmare it made them feel as though they hadn't gotten any sleep at all. He didn't want to let her go. She moved again, pressing her delicate features closer to him and her light hold tightened on him and she nestled into his chest. Her touch felt like sparks of flames sometimes.

"I hear your heart beat," she whispered unconsciously.

"As I hear yours," he whispered lowly. He couldn't understand why his voice came out as it did.

Her eyes shot open and she yanked herself away from him as though he had stabbed her. She clawed her hair away from her face and looked around in complete and utter panic. He didn't move or better yet he didn't want to. She was breathing hard. He looked at her and their eyes locked. The fear and confusion vanished from her eyes and they over glazed with compassion and gratefulness before she flew to her feet.

"Oh my god," she said stumbling for a moment before she got her bearings. "I am so sorry, I had no idea I was so close…i-I – I thought I w-was at h-home, n-not here." she drew her hand down her face.

He tried not to smirk. He patted the grass beside him as he lay there. "Come back and lay beside me," he said.

"I-I shouldn't!"

"But I would like you to," he said frankly.

She ran her fingers through her awfully frizzed hair and stumbled over to him, falling square on her butt before falling back _flap _onto the grass. She felt his warm hands touch her and drew her closer, wrapping around her like they had been before she woke up.

"Let us pretend, just for a moment, it is just you and I. Just in this moment." he said distantly.

Her body relaxed and her hand draped over his chest. Her heart was racing and it felt as though he had hypnotized her and all the other thoughts she could have possibly had flew out the window. It was just the two of them. They both looked the sky in its beautiful pink and light orange. The sun was rising and it felt as though honestly in that moment it was the two of them alone on the planet. They watched the sun rise and the light seemed dim when it touched the garden they were in. it wasn't too bright that they couldn't look in the sky, it just the right amount.

"How is that possible?" she whispered.

"It just is," he said before he sat up and looked down at her.

She looked up at him and her heart raced. His eyes were so captivating when he wasn't looking at her with hate. They were like complete and utter darkness, the deep abyss of blackness with sheen and shine. His eyes were beautiful and even though she wanted to, she couldn't look away.

"Are you blushing?" he teased.

She closed her eyes, pressed her lips together and turned her head to side, finally looking away from him. His hand touched her face like a feather, forcing her to look back at him.

"Sakura, how well can you pretend?" he asked her.

She cast her eyes away. She knew where this was going.

"Not very well," she admitted under her breath.

He swallowed. "Are you willing to try?" he asked. He held her chin and ran his thumb over her bright cherry lips. He noted when her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat.

He wanted to kiss her so badly yet he couldn't bring himself to frighten her. Not now, not in that moment. He didn't want to just kiss her when she was asleep, it wasn't good enough. He wanted to feel her kiss him back as well, pressing her lips onto his with equal eagerness. He couldn't understand why everything that he had never really felt until the past few days were as over bearing and powerful as they were now. She looked away but didn't move.

"I-I…c-can't," she stuttered.

"Why?"

"Yo-you have a gi-girlfriend."

"We're pretending," he reminded her, his face pulling closer to hers.

She looked at him, her eyes pained. She wanted to but she couldn't bring herself to do something like that. However she was feeling something she had never felt before in all her life. It felt as though her soul was calling his, pleading to him to grasp her and breathe something so magical into her it was like a new life. She couldn't explain it. It was something completely new to her and out of this world.

There was also the fact that she had never spoken to boys much or had ever been this close. She had never kissed anyone before. She didn't want to do it but she wanted to do it more than how she didn't want to.

"I-I've never kissed anyone before," she said, her heart racing. She was breathing far too hard.

"Don't be afraid," he told her, his lips hovering just above hers.

Her heart was ramming into her chest, her body was shaking and she was breathing sharply. She didn't move and his thumb ran over her lips lightly again. His breath was warm, heating her from the inside out. His lips brushed against hers, almost testing to see if she would instantly change her mind and vanish from under him. She didn't and his lips crashed down onto hers, pressing down onto the lips of a goddess with urgency. She took a sharp breath and her lips synced into compliance, kissing him back. Her hands smoothed around his neck, pulling him closer to her as she felt nothing less than a small piece of heaven touch her. Tingles traveled all around her, her hairs stood on end and she got goose bumps. She shifted, tangling her fingers in his hair. His hands cupped her face, her lips the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.

It was a strange kiss for him however because there was no lust. The heat that ran though his body surpassed that. It was beyond a sexual thing and that baffled him. Her kiss was so tender, so smooth and deep with so much innocence it made everything that much better. He pulled her bottom lips neatly between his own lips before drawing her into him again with a kiss of everything that was magical. It was the best kiss he had ever had in all his years of existence and that was a given.

There was nothing better, there could never be anything better than her heavenly lips, the gateway to something he had never experienced in all his life. He didn't want to stop. He wanted to kiss her senseless, kiss her until she was out of breath and could breathe no more. He wanted to kiss her until he got tired, until he got bored and didn't want to anymore. He wanted to kiss her until forever decided it wanted to end. The explosion that happened was staggering.

She felt bolts of electricity travel through her it was the best thing she had ever felt. When he pulled away from her she was literally gasping, his head resting on hers. His hands still cupped her face and his eyes closed as though he was stopping time for just a moment. When her own eyes opened he was looking at her.

"C-can we s-stop pretending?"

"No," he rasped.

Her body tingled as he spoke over her lips, his own brushing over hers like a feather. He kissed her, pulled away and she came after him, pressing her own lips onto his. It felt as though they were the only two people and the world was churning them, spinning them around and around like a rollercoaster and they couldn't think clearly. She didn't understand what was happening or even how this was happening. This time her own tender hands held his face and his own hands iron gripped her fragile waist.

When he slid his tongue into her mouth there was a bolt of literal electricity, gold and neon blue, mingling intimately together. The feeling was completely and utterly orgasmic. She didn't mean to but an almost painful, strained moan erupted from her lips as volts of shock went through her. The waves of pleasurable satisfaction completely breath taking. Her body swooned into bliss of perfection.

Sasuke tore himself from her hold, stunned by the exoticness of the feelings consuming him.

"What w-wa-s t-hat?" she asked breathless, her chest raising and falling quickly.

He had no idea what that was either and frankly it didn't surprise him that something extra weird happened when he kissed her. He was actually waiting for his essence and hers to finally clash.

They were both silent for some time. She wobbled to her feet. This was all becoming too unreal for her. She couldn't take everything in. This was becoming too much. This was too much, too soon. She plopped back down on her bottom in the garden unable to stand on her jell like feet.

How could someone taste heaven like from? How could someone experience such perfectness and rightness with the world from a simple kiss? Was kissing someone always like that?

"Sasuke," she began softly, her voice extremely waving, "how long are you going to keep me in the dark?" she asked.

He stretched out. "Right now I don't know what to tell you." He said frankly. "I'm just as baffled as to what just happened."

He cracked his knuckles unable to wrap his mind around that. He'd never felt anything that good before in his life. His own climax wasn't that pleasurable and all he had done was kiss her. Every time when he thought he had things figured out something else weird had happened.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," she struggled to catch her breath.

"Of course I know that's not what you're talking about." he agreed. "Let's talk over food shall we? You must be hungry." he asked rising and dusting off his pants. "And right about now, I'm way behind on the things I should be doing."

"I have to get home,"

"Don't worry about that, I've handled that hours ago." He said. "Come on, let's go."

"I have my medication I need to take," she whispered, "I really need to take them."

"Either way, let's go." He said pulling his phone out of his pocket.

He turned it on and instantly it began making all sorts of ringing and beeping sounds. He rolled his eyes. He knew he was a busy man and almost every inch of his day timed or scheduled. Each member of his band had called him at least ten times; Naruto had called twenty eight times. Tami called almost one hundred and thirty times, his mother called a shockingly low thirty times, Kakashi had called a lot and the amount of text messages, schedules, lists and voice messages he got was staggering. Sakura was behind him and like a protector he guided her in front of him, resting his hand on the small of her back while focusing on his phone.

She looked around the garden, the way the halo of light made the place magical and bright. The plants seemed to open up, breathing and taking in the new day, grateful for everything. Her eyes locked on a neon dark purple flower dotted with a mercury-like color on one of the petals. It was really beautiful, so perfect and pretty. It reminded her slightly of the Tuscany Superb only, maybe prettier. She didn't want to leave this heavenly place with such fresh air, radiant and beautiful colors with the sense of peace and serenity. The garden felt oddly like home, like a piece of her she hadn't known she lost until she found it once again.

_This place really is beautiful, _her inner awed.

_It is isn't it?_

_I bet you're the first person he'd ever brought here. _She mused

_Come on Sakura, don't full your head with lies, it only breaks our heart. You know that's not true, _she said softly.

Sasuke couldn't decide who to call first. He knew that more than likely talking to Kakashi would be about media business and talking to his mother about family and love business he wasn't up for. He decided to ring Naruto. He picked up on the first ring.

"What the fuck dude!" he said into the phone as he picked. "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm with Sakura; I told you what I would be doing." He stated coldly.

"Who the hell told you to shut off your phone and our only other source of contact? You have to get your ass here because it's a fucking disaster right about now. Shit is going down and you need to get over here and talk to Neji because he's on the verge of killing a whole lot of people he really shouldn't."

"Deal with it without me, I'll be there soon."

"That's what we've been doing! Do you know how many Watchers I've killed since you ditched us? The Pentitantum wants answers that we're obviously not delivering. They're sending Watchers who are swarming the place."

"Are you insane?" Sasuke seethed, biting his tongue before he said something he really shouldn't. "You can't just kill them Dobe, not if the Pentitantum sent them and you know that."

"What else was I supposed to do when we have Hinata here running tests on Ramora that we really shouldn't be doing with the councils knowledge?" Naruto barked.

"Naruto, when I'm not around you know what to do, just do it." he said snapping the phone shut.

Leave it to them to let chaos break out the second he decides to make some time for a little bit of personal issues. He didn't even want to know what was going on with them over in the Meeting House right now. He wasn't up for any of that shit. He was actually feeling a little good and decent and on the verge of normal around Sakura. He liked that and all he wanted right about now was no stress.

He concluded that he didn't want to call Tami, she was the furthest thing from his mind and frankly, he didn't care much to want to deal with anything else. When they walked out of the gate that said 'no entry' a car was parked outside. She looked up at him and he shrugged. He opened the door and once again, she hesitated before getting in. He got in and shut the door of his Auston Martin. He started the engine and reversed.

"Here's how it's going to work." he began emptily. "I'll drop you home, you'll do what you need to and I'll wait in the car." He said.

"Are-"

"Don't object, just agree and be done with it. We need to talk as you pointed out so obviously." he said simply speeding down the road.

She nodded and clasped her hands together. He glanced at her and her bed head, her pale flesh and rosy pink lips. She looked amazing in the early morning even though he could tell there was something oddly off about her.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

She shifted and tugged down the sleeves of her hoodie that she hadn't taken off; she pulled up the collars and didn't say anything. She was self conscious about something he assumed and the fact that she didn't answer proved him right. Tami would hate this completely, she already did and he didn't know what really would happen between them from now on because Sakura was now smack in the picture.

He felt horny –which was frankly out of place in the situation- he hadn't had sex in hours and that was out of the norm. He wouldn't define himself as a sex addict but he knew well that was probably what he was or something along those lines. He had sex at least twice every morning, a different girl every night, he always had sex before and after concerts, it was a must in his schedule. He drank, matter of fact he had downed three bottles of absolute vodka before he came to Sakura's 'rescue' if one wanted to call it that. Since he was in a 'meeting' drugs weren't allowed, both the human and 'supernatural' kind.

Sakura herself was quiet and she really didn't know what to say. This all felt like a dream to her, none of it felt real. Sasuke Uchiha, the man girls would kill her for was going out of his way to spend time with her. It was unreal and had to be a dream she had conjured up too well for her own good. Something like that just didn't happen. There was something between them and she couldn't deny that but it was completely and utterly inconvenient for her. She didn't want anyone to see them together but the last thing she wanted to do was be someone sneaking around with someone else's boyfriend.

"You're not sneaking. You analyze far too much," he said breaking the silence.

She didn't even consider asking how he knew something like that. She didn't ask how he knew what she was thinking at that moment because she felt stressed and like the world was pressing down on her shoulders suddenly and she knew she had no reason to feel that way but he must have.

"Sorry," she apologized.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and decided to wing it. She was hiding something; he could feel it building up in the atmosphere in the car. She was becoming more self conscious each second in the car as though the longer she sat there, the easier it would be for her secret to be discovered.

"Why don't you take off that sweater? It's a bit hot right now in the morning to have it on." He stated.

She looked out the window and shook her head simply. He noticed how she refused to look at him and she didn't speak almost as if she didn't trust her voice enough. He let it go or made it seem so. It pricked him for some unknown reason to know that she wasn't the only one hiding secrets. He knew Sakura must have secrets of her own- everyone did- but he never thought it would bother him that she didn't trust him enough to reveal them. He had to admit that he didn't want to tell her any of his own either.

He was trapped between two things, stuck in two places which was somewhere he had never been. He hated to admit it but as of late since she arrived he wasn't sure about a damn thing in his life. Since she arrived nothing appeared as black and white as they used to be. She had thrown far too many shades of gray in his painting that he could barely recognize it anymore. She was pulling out seems, cutting hems, ripping collars and making a completely new garment and he didn't know how to really deal with it. He didn't know if it was like this for all the other demons of his kind who encountered their soul keepers. He swerved around the corner and halted blatantly in front of her yard.

He looked through his window and stared, she lived with the dreaded fan girl Atona. He frankly hated the idea of Sakura even breathing the same air as the fire breathing vixen let alone living with her. If he allowed himself to be affected to the point where he wanted to know every damn thing about her, his protectiveness of her would only grow and drive him to madness and he was mad as it was.

She looked over him for a quick second before leaving the car and going into the house. His phone vibrated, signaling that a text had just rolled in. He sighed and ran his fingers through his slightly tangled yet somehow still perfect raven hair.

He was anticipating those three weeks dedicated to himself and no one else. He had no concerts, scheduled appointments, rehearsals, interviews, shows appearance, CD-signings or fancy, stupid stuck up parties for rich people. He didn't have to be going all over the stupid world, to so many stupid places for so many stupid things for three weeks. He could just live or his version there off and write music like he'd always been doing all these years. They had so many personal songs and instrumentals that they would never publish or set out to the media.

Right now things were less hectic since they had just three more concerts, the last one which would be in their very own town Konoha and that was it. Tomorrow he had to 'fly' out to L.A though for three interviews, six appearances and five CD-signings. They had a huge meeting with some people Sasuke couldn't care less about who wanted to talk to the band about their next move in terms of music.

They also had a huge meeting with the three main sectors which consisted of his council, the Pentitantum and Itmotachimori which was Itachi's sector. They all had business to discuss and he knew how long and dreary those meetings could be. The meetings could go on for hours or even days if they didn't cooperate. Once upon a time the meeting went on for a whole month straight; people had thought they all vanished when they were all in a remote underground sector in Italy. There were two conferencing places they were used interchangeably. This time he had to go to Rome and be back for the concert. He wasn't looking forward the whole boring and monotony of it all.

When Sakura came out of the house her hair was combed into a nice, cute pony tail with a cute side bang and a nice ribbon tied around her head between the bang and the rest of her hair. Her face was so clear and smooth and her eyes fresh and beautiful. She was in faded blue jeans, a white T-shirt with her gray hoodie. This time the sleeves were rolled up to her elbow and it didn't seem like she was trying to hide anything. She had a small knapsack on her back and she paused to tie her white shoe lace. She looked so innocent and cute he couldn't help the smirk. Her cute little knapsack was Dora. She looked ready and halted in front of the car and opened the door.

What actually earned Sakura about a million and one points, trapping some part of him he couldn't pin point was how simple and casual she dressed. She wasn't over done, she didn't try hard to be pretty or sexy, she wasn't trying to get him to notice her body. She wasn't _trying_ to look sexy in what she had on but she did and the sole fact that she was unaware of it and wasn't even trying made her look that much sexier. She seemed like the home girl that was in her sweats and slacks, curled on the couch with you on a rainy night watching scary movies and didn't fuss over a goddamn thing yet looked amazing all the damn time for some unknown reason. She came in, took off her knapsack, buckled her seat belt and smiled. She was ready for whatever the hell was going to come next. He glanced at the bag.

"Dora? Really?"

She flushed. "It's pretty old, it has good memories." She said innocently. "You don't have a problem with it do you?"

He shook his head and started the engine. "Whatever floats your boat Cottan Candy." He teased.

He reversed and headed into town. He didn't want to really come out of his car because then there would be pictures, flashing lights and a whole lot of drama. He knew where he was taking her and he knew that he wouldn't be seen. He never was that was why that street was his favorite place to go. The street was completely out of access to humans, another one of the few places Kavazwalians had as their own.

He paused at a stop light and glanced at her. She was fumbling with her simple white watch on her hand. He noticed how most of the things she had on were white; the ribbon, the shirt, the watch, the shoes, the sock and the lining of the damn Dora small knapsack.

He took his time turning into the narrow ally that led to a dead end, blocked off by huge gates. He stopped the car in front of the gate and when the wide silver things swung open he drove inside. The place was just like a little short strip of food stores, clothing stores and potion, spell and all other kinds of the stores. He parked in front of Heavenly Delights and shut off the engine. He came out of the car and before Sakura could even think about unlocking her seat belt, her door was already open and he was waiting, keys in hand. She jumped, frightened by the speed and came out of the car. She slung the small knapsack over her shoulder and looked around to see another place that couldn't possibly exist. He closed the car door and went to open the door of the store for her.

The place was spacious and clean. It was decked out in white, an innocent pink and heavenly gold. The tables were made out of glass, the show cases, the doors, the counters, the plates, the pillars…everything was of glass. The seats were made of some sort of cotton and they were firm and plush almost.

She smiled. She'd never been in a place so girl deserved in all her life. There were sweats in the show cases near the counter, there were shelves literally dotted about the place like potted plants in glass cases filled with pastries. Sasuke walked over to the woman behind the counter, keys jinglingly. She smiled when she saw him as though she was seeing an old friend.

"Who's the human girl?"

"Kin, let's not go there." he said sternly.

"I only asked Sasuke 'cause she's human and you know how we feel havin' them in this place right here." Kin had spent a bit of time in the South that she had slowly seeped into their accent.

"She's with me,"

"If that ain't obvious enough," she said rolling her eyes, "why is she with you, that's the question and I don't want no body comin' to me talkin' 'bout how they seen you walking with a human girl where they're not welcome."

"Where's your hospitality?"

"Flew out the window this morning," she said sadly, "what you want in here, I know you didn't come to see my pretty face."

He sighed. He knew Kin sadly and since the last three decades she wasn't so hospitable to humans. She had her reasons, he had to give her that but she was also a sweet woman. He cast his eye over to Sakura who was standing near the door sweetly looking around.

"You want me to feed her?" Kin asked incredulously.

"Yes I do," he said coldly.

"Why do you have to take her here, huh? There are many other human place you couldda taken her to go eat supin'." She said to him irritated.

"Kin," he warned.

"Don't get that tone with me Sasuke, I ain't in the mood today for games. First you bring her here and now you want me to go out of my way ta make human food to feed her? I'm not doing squat until you tell me what's up."

"I just need a place to talk Kin, I'm sure you know what I mean," he said through gritted teeth. He rubbed his temples for a moment and tried to keep himself calm.

She looked at him skeptically before pulling out a menu from thin air.

"Here, it's the human menu I made just in case, you know, for a rare occasion like this. She can order whatever she likes, it's on me." she said.

He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. The change in her was like a switch. She sighed and ran her fingers through her short red hair.

"I know you must have brought her here for a reason I just don't want it ta be a stupid one. I know you're smart Sasuke but you know times are changin'." She told him wisely. He nodded and took the menu.

"I'll be back at midnight and you can tell me about it." he said simply.

He knew Kin, he knew when she needed his help. She couldn't tell him what was wrong because she was out in the open and even glass had ears when it wanted to. He knew when she was afraid, when she was nervous and when she saw things she shouldn't. She nodded and shooed him so she could go back to wiping the glass counters.

There was a waitress inside as well as a few people spotted around the large place. She was wearing glass skates which Sakura had never seen before and a nice playboy costume in all sorts of playful colors. He handed her the menu and guided her to a seat in the corner. He could tell she felt a bit out of place in the scene but he knew she would get over it.

"Whoa," she mumbled. The place had looked so much like a pastry shop she never expected them to offer a whole load of breakfast foods.

The waitress rolled over to them, popping bubble gum in her rainbow outfit. She smiled at Sasuke, batting her eyelashes and biting her lips. He completely ignored her and she looked at Sakura with a disgusted face as if to ask 'what are you doing here and with him no less?'

"Are you ready to order baby doll?" she asked popping her gum stereotypically like a blonde.

"Uh," she stumbled over her words and looked at the menu as she spoke, "can I have water, the berry surprise with melon and peaches?" she asked.

The girl nodded and glanced at Sasuke. "And you handsome?" she slurred.

He leaned. "I'm fine thank you." he said politely.

She pouted. "Are you sure you don't need anything?" she pressed.

He glared up at her, sending chills through her and she backed away a little.

"Well if you need _anything_ you let me know my dear." She purred. "I'll be back with your order cutie." She said before rolling away.

She leaned back and he waited for her to part those heavenly lips and ask the simply question she knew was safe to ask.

"Where is this?" she asked tenderly.

"It's just Sadina. It's like a hip strip or a mall only for Kavazwalians." He told her. "I brought you here because it is the safest place to talk about things that are not obvious to humans." He said.

She nodded. "Don't you want something to eat?" she asked kindly.

He shook his head. "I don't…" he paused, thinking of a simple way to say something complicated. "I don't eat."

Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped. "Ever?"

"I don't eat human food _much_." _Unless it's the human_, he added to himself mentally but he wouldn't tell her that to freak her out.

"What do you eat?"

"Things you've never seen or heard of before. I eat food that comes from my own. Don't get me wrong, I can eat human food…I just prefer not to." He replied.

He didn't want to answer all these questions but he needed to get them out of the way. She needed to ask because she had a right. Keeping her in the dark wouldn't do her much good and keeping her confused wasn't making this any easier at all for either of them. He didn't have to tell her everything but he had to get the basics down. The waitress came back and placed Sakura's order in front of her. She looked at Sasuke and smiled.

"Changed your mind your highness?"

He shook his head minutely. She shrugged.

"I'm only a call away," she purred before skating away.

Sakura looked at the bowl of food and Sasuke leaned back. He could smell everything that was in it. It contained black berries, blue berries, straw berries, raspberries, Barbados cherries, grapes along with the peaches and melons she ordered.

She was smiling at the bowl as though she was in complete bliss, about to eat something completely sinful. She took up the small clear fork and plucked out a straw berry. She plucked it into her mouth and her eyes lighted with so much satisfaction he had to really look at her. Was she serious?

"It's so good." She said giddy.

He made a passive expression but inside he felt satisfied that she was content and it was his doing. She plucked out a peach and chewed. She ate neatly and elegantly or rather…tenderly. She ate like she spoke, soft and harmless movements, tender chews if it could be described as such.

He sat there, leaning back, his hand positioned on his face like a man with power, and watched her simply. Like a mafia boss sitting at the head of a table, his hand resting on his face as if contemplating something however Sasuke didn't need to contemplate anything, at least not in that moment.

"What do we do now?" she asked after she finished chewing.

"I don't know." he replied. "I'm just here to answer the questions you have to ask."

She looked down and ate a grape. She drank some water and coughed. "Well…what is this between us?"

"You have something for me, I want it." he said vaguely. "But I do not wish to take it from you like I should, it would hurt you and I do not want to do that."

"Why do I have it?" she asked her eyes shocked. "Is it my fault?"

"No it's not; it's just the way things are. If anything the fault is mine," he said.

"What do I have?"

"I do not wish to tell you."

She nodded. She didn't argue or try to press on it. He watched as she thought of what to ask him.

"What are you?"

"I'm a Demon; at least, that is what you all know us as." He said nonchalantly.

The world froze and he knew that his statement had totally just caught her off guard. Her hand stopped mid pluck and she gapped on him unable to believe what he just said. That was something he just had to get out of the way. He could imagine how unbelievable this was to her tender mind but her reaction seemed to slow and she nodded, surprising him.

"Oh," she whispered, "oh, alright. Wh-what can you do?"

"Anything that I want to. It's a long story,"

"Is there a book?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I mean like how we humans have history books about us, how we came about, what we are and stuff like that, doesn't Kamalpa have history books like that too?"

"They do," he answered.

He had shelves on top of shelves of books of their kind. He had so many historical books about them, so many big old ancient things packed in his house in the underground library anyone could get lost. There was so much about their world that needed to be passed on, so many things about the classes, the monarch and each new breed of species. There were books of potions, spells, healing methods, medicines, ancient and forbidden techniques, ancient forms they could take under, the evolution of each species.

"I could read them sometime, couldn't I?" she asked taking another drink of her water.

"You would fade away before you could read even half of what you would like to know. Besides, you can't understand our language." he said.

She nodded. "I want to…learn about this." she admitted.

"What?"

"You know this other world that no one knows about. This is amazing, I don't know if I should believe it yet but it really is." She smiled. "I couldn't have imagined something so different."

"That is what you're interested in? It doesn't matter that I am a demon?"

She paused. "I don't think it does really. You're not trying to hurt me and I'm sure you're just like any other person, no pun intended." She smiled. "I don't discriminate and this is- this is cool."

He chuckled. "Cool she says."

She laughed. "Cool I say." Her smiled faded and she looked at her bowl. She hesitated. "Sasuke, I can take any escape that I'm offered." she confessed.

He didn't say anything. He was tired of speaking. Since he ran to save her from her subconscious mind. He'd told her a story and entertained her.

She ate a melon and then pushed the plate towards him. He stared at it and pushed it back.

"I don't eat things like that." he repeated. "I've said that before."

"Why not? What does it do to you?"

"It doesn't kill me if that's what you're wondering." He stated.

She laughed softly, the sound floating towards him. "I never meant it like that. Does it taste bad or something?"

"It tastes the same to me as it does to you, only it's not appetizing to me. It is like a Caribbean person disliking Italian food. I am Caribbean and what humans eat is mostly Italian." He explained.

"But you can eat it?"

"Yes I can." He replied.

"So what do you eat?" she asked curiously.

_Souls…_ That too he couldn't say out loud. His kind never ate souls before since humans were never apart of the food chain in Kamalpa but once they arrived here, with each passing decade more and more souls of humans began to be consumed until it was a living necessity for his specie specifically.

"I eat my Caribbean food," he said with a smirk.

She giggled. "Things I've never seen or eaten before," she translated.

"Correct but things you would like. Food from Kamalpa is like food from the islands, everything is exotic and oddly prepared. A different culture I suppose."

"That sounds really amazing. I've never tried anything exotic before."

He acted on impulse. "Then we must eat together one day, don't you agree?"

Her eyes lighted like a thousand suns and she almost squealed. "I do!"

"You're really into this all of a sudden." He stated.

"I'm getting a bit carried away." she breathed out.

"You do really want an escape?" he said.

She looked down, drank some water, and ate a blueberry and another peach. "Yes I do, not from this world but just from my aspect of it. I'm sure you know what I mean," she said with a soft smile.

He sighed. "I don't know how to deal with all of this." he said and closed his eyes. He was being honest. He didn't know how to deal with any of this shit.

"With me?"

"Yes with you." he said. "Who else could I possibly be speaking about? I've never been this confused since my mother died and that was centuries ago, eons to be exact."

"Wh-what have I done this time?"

"You exist Sakura Haruno, that is what you have done. You live and the longer I deny this the harder it becomes for me. I am giving this a try because I do not want to hurt you but the strain it puts on me is unbearable at this point."

"I don't understand."

"You wouldn't and I don't expect you to, at least not now." he sighed. "You've been here just for a few weeks and you're all I think about, running through my mind and cascading my thoughts. I can't stop watching you, all your movements. You count each step you take when you're walking around, you hardly look up you rather watch your feet, you hate sitting anywhere up close because you think people stare, you can never eat the small amount of food you put on your plate, you chew the insides of your jaw and you always self consciously tug your clothes, you mostly sit with your hands in your lap, you're so close to some kind of edge your eyes constantly water, when you're alone for even a split second this self hate radiates through your eyes, you hum when you think no one's looking, you avoid eye contact almost 100% of the time…I could go on and on. Do you think I want to watch you like that?" he asked.

"I-I-"

"I'm not trying to frighten you Sakura," he told her, "but I'm telling you what you asked to know."

"What did I ask?"

"You wanted to know how I was feeling." He stated. "But you were too afraid to ask out loud."

"Ho-how did you know that?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sorry." She said.

He chuckled. "Don't be stupid, you have nothing to apologize for. What I feel is on my own accord." He said. He took a deep sigh, the confessing cutting into his pride. "Change the subject."

She was silent. "How long have you and Tami been together?" she asked.

He smirked. "That is what you want to talk about?" he asked amused.

"Well…I'm not the best at picking conversation." She admitted.

"I can see that. We've been together for a few months." He said.

"Do you love her?"

He pressed his lips together but he couldn't stop the dark laughter from escaping. His laugh was low, evil almost and the smile he showed was spectacular. That was the funniest thing he'd ever been asked in decades. If she knew him at all she would never have asked him that. Obviously technically it was a funny question but….

"Do I love her?" He repeated. "Of course not." He laughed. The idea of him ever 'loving' was ridiculous. "Are you insane?"

"How can you not love her? She's so beautiful, like out of a magazine."

"Didn't she try to hurt you?"

"That's beside the point."

"How is that beside the point? The woman is a beast if I do say so myself. I'd be a fool to love someone like her."

"But…she's so perfect."

"Perfect isn't what it's always made out to be," he said wisely.

They sat there for such a long time, talking about almost everything. He felt at ease and as if he had nothing at all to worry about even though he did. He had a whole lot of things to worry about but he couldn't care, not when he was with her. It was time he stopped confusing himself about all this. She was one of the sweetest girls he had ever met. Her sarcasm was admirable as was her innocence. He wanted to protect her and have her…why was he trying to make it seem so bad as if she was the evil one? She was the victim, a beautiful victim.

She didn't care that he was a demon and she wasn't trying to get his autograph. She wasn't trying to be with him or take him from Tami and she wasn't asking for his attention. She was just being her and the connection between them seemed to grow as they sat there and talked. She did most of the talking but still, he contributed.

Her smile was beautiful as though it captured the rays of the moon. He looked at his watch and sighed. He had to get going. He hadn't kept track of time and the sun was setting. They'd been sitting in Heavenly Delights for hours. For some reason he didn't want to leave her. He rose and placed the money on the table. She came with him and they walked out together. He guided her in front of him and rested his hand on the small of her back. She looked around the strip and her eyes glued to the stores.

"Stop ogling," he whispered and she laughed. "We'll come back."

"We will?"

"If you would like to."

"Really?"

"Yes really."

"What about-"

"If you ask me about Tami one more time Sakura I will leave you in the middle of nowhere." He threatened.

"Right, sorry." She said. "This is a magical place."

"No it's not, you've just never seen enough of the world to know magical." He corrected.

"Thank you for all of this Sasuke, it means a lot of me,"

"Let's not get too comfortable." He warned coldly. He paused. "I won't be here for a while."

"What do you mean?" she asked softly.

He opened her car door. "I have some things I need to do." he replied closing it and getting into the car.

"Are you going to be gone long?" she asked.

"No more than a week I suppose." He said. He felt the pit of his stomach churn. "Relax,"

"How can you know all this about me and I can't know it about you?"

"You're not observant enough." He said. "Also there could be the fact that I might be feeling nothing at all." He said starting the engine.

There was silence. He waited because he knew if he was silent, she would be keen. Her head snapped up and she looked at him. "There's something else you want to say."

He smirked. "There you go." He commended. "You mustn't tell anyone about this."

She looked out the window. "Not even Ino?"

"Especially Ino,"

"But she's my best friend and I trust her. I've never kept anything from her before except one thing…I can't keep anything else."

"Well I don't trust Ino to know anything that concerns me as you trust not Tami to know anything about you."

She shifted. It didn't matter to him how uncomfortable what he was asking made her feel. It was all for the best and safety of things.

"Alright, I promise not to tell anyone."

"Good."

He drove and parked in front of her house. She looked over at him and hesitated. She opened the door and smiled at him, her eyes smiling with her. She looked down and he knew that she didn't want to leave. It felt alien to him but he didn't want to her to go either. The longer he looked at her with her perfect green eyes, smooth cheeks and beautiful pink hair, all he wanted to do was kiss her senseless.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She turned and placed one foot out of the car and he leaned over and took her arm. She looked back and he kissed her, pressing his lips onto her in a way of 'good-bye'. He kissed her hard, he would be gone for a few days, without her and as much as he hated to admit it, he wished he could just stay. He pulled away.

"And one more thing,"

"W-w-what?"

"Don't die while I'm gone," he said.

_**Well my beloved fans, there you have it! Was the kiss a bit much? Was it too soon or was it over due? lol! Enjoy your evening, day, night and summer/ starting of school :D **_

_**I'm Nothing without you guys,**_

_**D.V**_


	18. Chapter 18

_Here we are! I hope this chapter isn't too soon and if you're confused with lots of questions, don't you worry you're kinda supposed to be confused in this chapter. I couldn't explain all this in the chapter because really, Sakura doesn't know what's going on and since this chapter is in her point of view, you shouldn't know what's going on either. Sounds logical right? I know! Read and Enjoy! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Eighteen] **

I was ready at the usual time I should be and I went down stairs. Rin had already left and I felt almost lost without her in the mornings. She was like my mother only this time, she had to work. I felt empty in the deep corners of myself and that frightened me. Over the past few days all I managed to do was frighten myself. I was seeing things that weren't really things and I couldn't help but feel as if I was in a box. Life was so scary sometimes you just wish you could hide from it all and hope it didn't find you.

I didn't feel hungry at all and even though I knew I should eat, I couldn't even bring myself to stomach the thought of food. I was slipping on my shoes at the front door when heavy footsteps headed for my direction. I felt the insides of my stomach churn and fear dip into my bones, caressing me with coarseness. She hated me and honestly at this point in time I hated myself too. I couldn't blame her; after all, I was the problem in all of this wasn't I? I turned and even though just looking at her hurt my feelings – she looked at me as if I was the worst thing she had ever seen- I smiled.

She sneered and rolled her eyes. "Just get out of the way," she said brushing past me and pulling the front door open. "I put my clothes out, you know that ones you missed like a dumb bitch, I expect them to be washed, dried and folded by the time I get home." she said and walked out.

I just stood there and nodded mentally. So I had some things to do when I came home. I wasn't looking forward to it but I guess that just made me lazy didn't it? I finished putting on my shoes and there was a honk. I opened the door and saw Ino waiting in the car for me. I smiled. She waved and signaled me to come out. I picked up my bag, closed the door and went into the car. She looked at me and frowned.

"What the hell are you wearing?" she asked.

"What's wrong with what I have on?" I asked self consciously.

I was in a gray shirt, blue jeans and my sweater. I felt cold when I woke up and Tsunade always told me that when I'm cold, not matter where I'm going, to wear a jacket. I could catch the cold or the flu or something and that wouldn't be good for me. She sighed.

"You didn't even put on the makeup right. I swear in due time people are going to see all your scars and I know you don't want that to happen."

"Would you stop fussing over me? It's far too early." I said softly.

She snorted and reached over. She took my bag and rummaged through it for the makeup I had in there. I don't know how Ino did it but it was a struggle for me to put it on. It was really hard and I had scars everywhere and it took a long time to sit and try to cover them all hence why I mostly wore long sleeved clothing and hoodies. I had to be ready at a certain time or I'd be late for school. She pulled the things and started on my neck at the scare I had there. I remembered when I lied to Sasuke that I fell through a window.

"See there you go." She said.

I smiled. "Thanks Ino,"

"I swear you'd be nothing without me." she said started the car engine. "By the way, where were you Saturday?" she asked reversing.

My heart thudded in my chest. I've never lied to Ino before and even on occasions where I tried, I always failed. I was a horrible liar and almost everyone knew that and I never kept anything from her. The only thing I haven't told Ino is that I was going to die but I didn't even really have to tell her that because she subconsciously knew it was going to happen. She just thought if she ignored it then it would just go away. It wouldn't and what I needed to do was tell her that but I couldn't; I couldn't bring myself to break her heart like that. Besides that, there was nothing about me or nothing I knew that Ino didn't; except this.

I promised Sasuke that I wouldn't tell anyone or at least that I would try. If he didn't trust the people I did, I couldn't tell them anything because this was all about him too. I couldn't be unfair and I couldn't break my promises. That was wrong and I shouldn't make promises I couldn't keep. It felt right to keep it a secret or just until Sasuke and I talked about it and he decided I could tell her but lying to her was wrong too. I knew I was doing the right thing but it was going to feel wrong at the same time. I hated feeling this way. Ino was my best friend and I didn't know if I could pull this off.

I looked out the window. There was truth to this. I was working all day Saturday and I was home until around ten. I didn't have to lie, it was the truth but then I knew I was editing the one part I normally wouldn't.

"I was cleaning all day when I came home. When I was finished I went straight to bed." I told her.

We paused at a stoplight and I held my breath.

"What do you mean you were working? What kind of work?" she asked. "Don't tell me your cousin made you do household work,"

"She did,"

"What kind of household work?"

"I just cleaned."

"That little bitch," Ino snapped, "I knew she was a bitch from the moment I saw her in school. I knew that slut was bad news,"

"Ino, don't over react about it. It was nothing really," I said smiling.

"Don't try to pass it off on me. If she does anything, anything at all you let me know. I don't like her, especially around you. She's the president of the Sasuke Fanclub, that bitch is bound to be crazy." Ino warned.

I laughed. "Don't worry about it. She's treating me fine." I lied.

I didn't want Ino to worry about me. Sometimes she just worried too much and I had to reassure her every chance I got because if I didn't, she would lose her mind. I liked it that she cared so much about me but in truth, it frightened me sometimes. I couldn't understand why she cared so much at all. Who in their right mind chose to care for a bad person? Ino subjected herself to so many things just because of me and I really never thought I was worth it.

Back at our old school, a lot of people hated Ino simply because she hung out with me and even though they hated her, she never stopped talking to me. That was weird. It still was because I knew most of the people who hated me now hated Ino too and she didn't deserve that. Somehow she didn't seem to mind but I did. I didn't want to make life hard for anyone or ruin people's opportunities. I was running Ino's opportunity at a full, blown out, spectacular life. It pained me that she never saw it. I was bad news no matter where I went.

The light turned green and we were moving again.

"Anyways, let's forget about that for now." Ino said excited. "The concert is coming up and we totally have to go shopping. I told Shikamaru that we had our own tickets and you know what he told me?" she asked.

I stayed silent. I knew she didn't need my answer to continue. She would continue regardless.

"He told me that if we didn't have tickets, he would totally give us one because he wants me to come. He knows we've never been to one of their concerts and he claims we're totally missing out and we're in their favor so it's customary for us to go to their concerts." She said. "They've gone to some place in America today for interviews and shit like that, but they'll be back for the concert. Isn't this just amazing?" she gushed.

"It is," I said lamely.

I wished I could be interested in most of things Ino was interested in but I wasn't. We liked completely different things but maybe that's why we were friends. I was almost relieved that I wouldn't be seeing any of them today. I really didn't want to see Sasuke at all. I was completely nervous about it all. I didn't know what was happening and it was just hard for me to adjust to all these things.

I had an amazing time with him but I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have gone anywhere with him or even kissed him. That just made me more horrible than I already was. Who did something like that? I kissed him when he already had a girlfriend. I was a slut, it was obvious. I didn't know how to handle all of this sometimes I just…

I shook my head and sighed in the car. It didn't matter what I really thought about the whole thing. There was something between us and maybe it was my fault but I had to deal with it. The guilt of it all was welling up inside of me as the minutes went by and I knew if I saw Tami today I was going to be assaulted with fierce emotions. I was such a horrible and selfish person. When I woke this morning I felt so out of place but now I felt different, almost distant from myself. I felt like my soul was restless and the inner confines of my body were coiling away in a disturbing way. I didn't know how else to explain it because it was the first time I was ever feeling it.

Ino parked in the school parking lot and we got out together. I wasn't prepared for school today in the mental and emotional sense. I knew the amount of problems I had stirred when Sasuke took me home Friday. He didn't know how much trouble he was putting me in, how much more people would hate me and how much harder it would be for me to make some friends. Even though I didn't deserve friends, I couldn't help but want them in hopes that they could fill an unexplainable void, desire and yearning inside me. I wished I had friends like everyone else…but I didn't. I wanted to know what it was like and somewhere I knew that too was wrong of me.

"_You're always wanting shit you don't deserve." _My father's words rang in my ears as I took out my bag and closed the car door. My eyes fell to the floor in shame. He had been right all along. I always seemed to want things I didn't deserve most of the time. I glanced around at the large group of people dotted around the parking lot. I looked down again, intimidated by all of them.

"Would you look at that, we're famous." Ino chirped grinning widely and flashing her perfect smile.

I glanced at her and her admirable beauty. "What?" I asked softly, my voice hardly above a whisper.

She looked at me, sea blue eyes as bright as the sky over head. "Did you say something?" she asked, her eyes darted around with pleasure again.

"What do you mean?" I asked again, projecting my voice a little.

She grinned and laughed. "Don't you see Forehead? They're all staring at us, can't you tell? We've or more specifically, you've, revved up a storm." She said triumphantly. Her voice dropped. "They must have been gossiping about us all weekend since they certainly have nothing better to do." she said like a queen.

She always had that about her that was…worth awing. Nothing ever faced Ino. She was always three steps ahead, two times better, always prepared with all sorts of tricks up her sleeve and always confident. She didn't waver in anything and nothing ever seemed to dither her. She was always head on and sometimes self centered or highly self oriented but with beauty like hers, one couldn't blame her. Ino was beautiful –the kind of beauty Tami had, like a super model, air brushed and always perfect. That superior air about her and that thing –I didn't really know what it was- that made you want to be her and follow her.

I looked up timidly and glanced around. She was right. **Everyone **was looking at us and I noticed how I got the dirty looks. I knew this would happen and I tried so hard to prevent it. I looked back down quickly because if I didn't, I would allow the looks to get the best of me. I wanted the world to open up and swallow me and never spit me back out. This was so horrible.

Ino laughed. "Oh come on Bubblegum, don't be like that. This isn't so bad, so we're the talk to the school big deal." She shrugged. "I like being talked about, proves I'm worth it," she said to herself.

I couldn't help but laugh. The things that bothered me never bothered her. We were so different.

"Yeah Ino," I said, "I know much this means to you." I said sarcastically.

I literally felt her roll her eyes as we walked through the school doors.

"I didn't even remember to ask you Cotton Candy," she said pulling down her blouse, "what happened when hotness took you home?" She asked nonchalantly.

"I don't remember," I said, wading through a sea of people. "I fell asleep in the car."

"You fell asleep?" she asked incredulously as we came to a stop at our locker. "Do you know how many girls would have killed for that spot and you fell asleep? You never cease to amaze me," she said rolling her eyes and opening her locker. "How're you feeling today?" she asked caringly as she looked at her beautiful face in her mini mirror inside her locker door. She applied lip gloss like a true glam queen.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," she said, "I ask you that like every day." She said.

"I'm fine Ino and you know that."

She pulled out a clutch from her locker, popped it open and pulled out a mint.

"Do I Forehead?" she countered. "Do you think I haven't noticed?" she accused.

"Notice what?"

"That you're out of it." she said with a smile and slammed her locker shut. "Look me in the eyes and tell me what's up." she said firmly.

I yanked my locker open and buried my head inside, hiding from her. She had known I was hiding something from the very start and never said anything to me. Unbelievable, was I such a horrible liar? Though in theory I hadn't really lied had I? But I felt guilty regardless and it showed.

"Nothing's up," I said, my voice dangerously low, I swore she never heard me.

"Oh yeah?" she teased. "I bet it has something to do with our famous, hottie hot hotness Sasuke, but shhh, I won't prey," she laughed.

"Ino you're so horrible," I said lightly taking out my book and closing my locker.

She snickered. "And I think that's why you love me so much, besides, I feel…dangerous today." She said, flashing a cover magazine smile my way.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Is it me or are you guys the talk of the school this morning?" Tenten said, joining us from behind.

I looked at her and smiled. She smiled back at me and looked around.

"It's not you, but I'm pretty sure they're talking about Sakura." Ino said.

"Yeah they are, you're seriously brave to let Sasuke take you home." she said. "You sure as hell started a wild fire up in here; it's going to get hotter. Let's hope Tami doesn't freak." Tenten said.

"If she does, we could take her," Ino joked, "You could punch her in the face Tenten," she said.

"I certainly could, I don't do Taekwondo for nothing," she laughed. "So Ino how was the weakened?"

"I spent it unpacking –which if you asked me we should have been freaking done with- like some stupid house maid while my mother spent hours trying to make the dreaded decision of what color to paint the living room in."

"Let me guess," I said, a smile creeping on my face, "she picked peach."

Ino fumed. "Ugh! She picked stupid, ugly, faded out stinking peach! Can you believe it? I swear, I wanted to strangle her. You know how much the peach back home bothered me and here she is doing it again." She snapped.

"Peach isn't that bad." I teased laughing.

"You're right, it's just horrible," Tenten said.

"At least someone agrees with me." Ino said angrily, ignoring the preying eyes but paying attention to them at the same time.

I looked at my feet as I walked, counting my breaths and my footsteps to keep myself occupied. We went to home room and I went to my seat even though they weren't there. Tenten didn't have the same home room that we did which was sad. I loved her company.

I slid down low into my seat and looked at my desk as I felt a little bit hollow. It was weird sitting in the seat like I had since I started school here, without them sitting around me, without Naruto making me laugh or Sasuke glaring at me with those onyx eyes that saw right through me it was scary.

I had missed my first literature class because on the days I had literature, I was either at the nurse, busy being sick and fainting or spending two weeks in the hospital for being crazy. BUT this morning I was a bit happy that I was feeling alright enough to go. Ino took literature with me, just like she took every other class with me. Sometimes I had to wonder. The only thing Ino liked reading was magazines and gossip papers. The idea of reading a book was totally unappealing to her yet, for some reason, she was taking it with me. She gave up doing clothing and textiles and fashion art just so she could take all the classes with me. I told her she didn't have to do that but she didn't want to listen to me and I couldn't have changed her mind. We headed to class together and took a seat up front.

Our teachers name was Nakushi Tsukuni and he was very pleasant. I was meeting him for the first time and it was like my fourth week here. He told us that for the last week of every month of all his classes they did free work. We would talk about poetry and literature in general. He was an admirable man and I was like a sponge soaking up everything he was saying. He told us that if we were going to get straight A's in his class and get extra credit, he expected us to be poets and authors too. He expected us to write as well and not just for class but for us. He told us the poems we would be doing, the books and the short stories. He told us we needed to know all the poems before we started doing them and that, in his class, art was key. He looked at me and his burrs furred.

"Pardon my poor eyesight." He said looking. "I've been babbling in here like a madman and I seemed to have forgotten that you're completely new to my aura. You've missed all my classes- which is odd to say the least." He glanced at Ino. He smiled apologetically then addressed the class. "Class, warmly welcome Sakura Haruno into our literature home. It was a tragedy that she was unable to appear until now." he said.

I looked down bashfully at my desk. Maybe sitting at the front wasn't such a good idea like I originally thought it was. I didn't like being seen, especially today when everyone seemed to hate me the most. The class grunted, some sneered, others clapped and the rest remained silent. The class wasn't that large but I knew that some of the students weren't here because there were eight empty seats inside.

Call it a sixth sense but I felt eyes on me. It was weird because I knew a whole lot of people in class were glaring at me but the eyes I felt on me didn't feel like a glare. It felt haunting and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I turned, being brave once and scanning the room to see who was looking at me so intensely. I spotted her. She was rooted in the darkest corner off the class, away from all of us like an outcast, turned slant in her chair so she was leaning on the wall. Her hair was a dark and thick blue with bangs. Her bangs practically covered her eyes but as she blinked, still staring at me I gasped and I felt a chill run down my spine. Her eyes were extremely white; frighteningly yet somehow softly and timidly white with what I could tell was a tinge of lavender.

She knew I was looking back at her, she'd been caught and I expected her to look away, I knew I would have, but she didn't. She wasn't afraid; she continued to look at me. Her eyes were like Nejji's; they stood out. No one really had eyes like those, it was something completely different and just like Neji's eyes, hers seemed to be looking right inside of me, through me, around me and into the depth of me. I glanced down, looking away.

She was still looking at me; I could feel it and goose bumps came on my skin. It chilled me so much yet it was almost as if it was a soft chill, a tender one if that was even possible. I glanced back at her. Her cheeks were flushed and she was dreadfully pale but she didn't stop looking at me from the corner all the way at the back of the class. Her position was a languid, comfortable, 'I couldn't care less about what he was teaching' one. I looked away again. Was there something else wrong with me?

I tried to force myself not to look at her again because she gave me the creeps but I couldn't help myself and again I was glancing at her. Her eyes were less intense but still curious as she studied me. I smelt my hair, looked down at my clothes and examined my skin to see if my scars were showing. They weren't so what could she possibly be looking at? Was I that much of an outcast that everyone seemed to notice me?

I tried to focus on what Mr. Tsukuni was saying but a few minutes later, curiosity became too much and I was looking at her again. She was beautiful if I hadn't noticed before. She looked like a goddess or an ice queen or one of those people who were as tender yet firm like a water lily. I couldn't really explain that either. I was caught by surprise this time because tears were running down her face, reflecting the lighting of the room and thus sparkling. I didn't know what to say. No one else seemed to be noticing her except me. Her face looked the same, normal but tears were falling. Her brows didn't crease, her lips didn't quiver, her jaws didn't tighten and her body didn't tremble.

Literature class was nice even though all I did was listen to them talk about all sorts of poems throughout the period. When the bell rang and I looked back, she was gone. Ino and I headed out the door and down the halls together.

"Forehead, I'm going to go to the bathroom, don't die without me." she said before disappearing down the hall in the opposite direction.

I watched her fleeting back and a smile came on my face. She was so Ino. For some reason, I decided that I wanted to go to the school library. I was walking down the halls, looking at my feet as people bumped into me. I heard their horrible comments but I tried very hard not to pay any attention to them. They were calling me very vile things and I felt my eyes fog. Did it matter what they said? I didn't really know.

"Fuck, I was totally going to go down to the library to go print something but the freak is heading there and now so is the damn slut. I don't want to catch weirdo and a STD." her words slammed into me.

"I don't wrong you; I wouldn't want to be a freak or a pink haired slut. Only god knows what diseases she has."

I continued walking. I had diseases but they weren't contagious or sexually transmitted…not that I expected them to know. So I was the whore they were talking about, that much was obvious but I wasn't the only person they were teasing. Who was the freak? I couldn't help but think it must be some sweet person, subjected to them since they were weaker than the rest. I was counting my footsteps when I skidded to a halt. I was staring at the floor and I had to look up to see where the trail was going. It was going to the library. I wondered if it was really what it looked like. I'd seen blood many times, from myself and from others. I knew what blood was and I was looking right at it. It was a thin trail and my burs furred. Didn't that seem a bit…off somewhere? Concern rose inside me because it must be coming from someone. I followed it, walking right beside it going where it was leading me.

I looked around but it was as if no-one was noticing this.

I followed it to the corner next to the library doors, to a figure huddled in the corner sobbing. I knew it was a girl and I knew exactly which girl it was. It was the same girl from my literature class because she had that same, dark blue hair with the heavy bangs. Her knees were pulled slightly up to her chest, her arms up as though she was shielding herself from something and her hands were bleeding.

I looked around and it was as if I was the only person seeing her. No one else -as they shuffled and bustled past me, bumping into me every now and then, singing bad comments my way- seemed to see her there. It was the first I was seeing her too in the entire school. I had missed class on Monday, the other day when Tami almost killed me and then Friday when Sasuke took me home. I was pretty sure I had another class with her, but it was first time I was ever seeing her.

I looked around again. Were they ignoring her or were they really not seeing her? I stepped closer to her and cold chills crawled up my spine and she whimpered further into the corner, the blood trickling faster. Something was wrong and my heart tightened. I hated seeing people who needed help and never got it. Why were they ignoring her? I ignored the cold feeling I felt, the bone chill down to my soul and stepped closer. She sank deeper into the corner, whimpering in pain. My eyes softened even more than it already had. I dropped my books and my bag next to me and stepped closer. She started crying harder. I couldn't see her face at all.

"No," she sobbed, her voice so low and soft like the blooming of a rose, "don't come any closer." She begged.

Her voice was beautiful. I stopped and knelt down.

"Why not?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Y-you shouldn't be s-seeing this." she choked, struggling to breathe.

"I-is there anything I can do?" I stuttered my heart wrenching and tying up into a knot.

"Pl-please just l-leave."

I couldn't. I couldn't walk away from her and she was hurting like that. I had to help and I couldn't bring myself to leave her. She looked like she really needed someone or a hand to hold. I couldn't understand why she was bleeding but I had a feeling that wasn't the problem. What was happening to her?

"If I come closer, will that hurt you at all?" I asked softly.

Her head shook vigorously and I scooted closer to her instantly. I was on my knees in front of her. Her body was trembling now and she was breathing hard. I took her hand and pulled it gently from her face. She looked up then, her eyes wide open and I fell back, releasing her hand instantly out of instinct. I drew in a sharp breath and scooted back away from her, caught by surprise.

What in the world?

Her eyes were literally frightening and clearly showed how scared she was. They were white, too white and the rings as red as blood and her tears as dark as her hair. It was as if she was blind, her eyes fluttering around trying to see something, anything. I wanted to scream but my throat closed, clamping down hard and tight to prevent a sound.

"I can't see anything," she said, her voice strained. I could tell she was panicking by the way her eyes moved and how held her hand in front of her face, moving it, inspecting it but still, not seeing anything. "Aren't you a-afriad?" she asked, more blue ink rushing down, staining her neck and her mesh blouse.

I didn't know what to say. She needed some kind of help I just didn't know what to do. I had never seen anything like this, something so insanely scary. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, the air felt frigid, I got goose bumps and my teeth started to chatter. I was freezing. I took her hand, the red essence leaving her writs touched my finger tips and burnt. I drew back my hand instantly as fire blazed through my fingers.

"n-no," she whimpered, "don't touch it, don't touch it."

"I'm sorry," I said instantly.

This was scaring me…she was scaring me but I couldn't move away from her. It was like she had trapped me in her own circle.

"What can I do?" I asked tenderly.

"You don't want to help me." she whispered.

"I do," I insisted, "please, tell me what I can do." I begged.

"r-really?" more tears came, flooding her out, staining every inch of her face below her eyes, her blouse, inside…everywhere. I felt another kind of fear crawl around my body like a snake.

"Yes," I pushed my body closer to her and I touched her shoulder. "I know you can't see me but please let me help."

"I-I d-don't ne-ed to see you." her teeth chattered and her body vibrated disturbingly. "I k-know wh-ho you are Sa-kura." She whispered. Her voice, beautiful and cold, came out in a haunting ring.

I swallowed. "Tell me what to do," I whispered.

"W-water and ice." She trembled.

"I'll be right back." My mind raced.

She grabbed my hand, burning it so hard I should have screamed, I wanted to…but I couldn't do that either. Even though she couldn't see and her eyes were frightening, I could tell they were vulnerable.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," I said without thinking.

I stumbled to my feet and headed down the hall, wading quickly through people. I didn't hear their comments, I didn't hear their sneers. The only thing I heard was the racing of my own heart and the harshness of my breath as I hurried to the nurse. When I came in she smiled. She'd seen me enough times since I got here to know who I was.

"Sakura," she smiled.

"Mrs. Summers." I said sweetly.

I told her that I needed an ice pack and she looked me up and down. She asked me about a million times if I was alright and I told her I was and that I was just trying to help a friend. She told me to have her come to the nurse and I told her, it was nothing like that, even though I didn't even know what it really was. She gave me the ice pack regardless and when I told her I was going to go to the cafeteria to get bottled water, she took a cold one from the cool fridge she had inside and handed it to me.

"Now, are you sure it's nothing that-"

"She's perfectly fine, I promise, she's just having some aches and asked me to come get some ice for her. That's all; it's just a girl thing." I smiled.

I knew I was lying and I swore she could see right through me. I knew what a girl thing was but I myself had never experienced it before but Ino wouldn't stop moaning and groaning every month about it. She looked me up and down and nodded.

"Alright, if you say so." She said before turning to the door and helping a student who had passed out to one of the beds. She looked over at me and nodded and I left.

When I was back at the corner near the library, she was huddled deeper in the corner if that was possible, gripping her hair almost pulling it out of her scalp. I cringed. I couldn't even begin to imagine how painful that must be for her and I wished I knew what was happening or at least what she was really going through to make it better. I crawled next to her and her hands moved, roaming wildly about and I placed the ice pack in her hand and opened the bottle of cold water and placed it into the other.

Within seconds the bottle was empty and she sank into the wall and rested the ice pack on her eyes. I pulled my bag to me and rummaged through it. I brought all sorts of things with me when I went to school; one never really knew what could happen. I had all my medication or at least the ones I needed.

I pulled out a wipe, held the girls frail arm carefully and began to wipe away the crimson agony from her flesh. She bit down on her lips as though the touch hurt but she didn't move her hand. I wiped both hands until they were spotless, rose and threw the wipes into the nearby garbage bin. I sat next to her on the floor and folded my feet in a meditative position.

I was now at a loss for words. It had crossed my mind a few times that I could be imagining all of this without even knowing it. My mind played tricks on me like that and they were really scary. I hardly knew fantasy from reality anymore, I didn't know if all the people I saw were really there and all the things I recalled doing at the end of the day were things I really had done.

However, I decided that I didn't want to feel crazy and I didn't want to feel like the walls were closing in so I just accepted everything I saw and thought I did. Trying to separate them brought tears to my eyes and migraines. Whether this was all real or not didn't matter because I would be doing the same thing. If this was really happening I would really be helping her and in a dream if this was really happening I would still be helping. What was the difference if I was doing the exact same thing? There really was none, at least, not to me.

I knew though, that maybe, this was real or almost. I knew that even if I was imagining her here now in distress and agony that at least, she was a real person. She was a real person, I had seen her in class but maybe because of the effect she left on me, my mind was weaving her into my life now when this was all a fantasy. This might not be real but she was. She had to be…somehow.

I wasn't making much sense to myself but subconsciously I knew what I was talking about. I never told Sayouku Changlin about all of this and I was afraid to. When I was in the hospital after that incident I only told her what had happened. I never told her about the things before or the things after. I was too afraid. I couldn't tell her about Sasuke and I couldn't tell her about my association with this girl and this incident because she wouldn't believe me and honestly, I didn't really believe me either. They had already given pills to help with my mental state and I was thinking that the way I was feeling now, might be a side effect of one of them. I didn't want to be put on anymore, not until I knew if this was real or not.

She shifted beside me, her skin brushing against mine, sending ice through me. It was like her flesh was an air conditioner on extreme high or the freezer inside a fridge. I shifted too, moving a little away from her, not because I was afraid but because even in my hoodie, I was cold. She adjusted the ice pack on her eyes and a moment after started patting her cheeks. I watched her but scared to death that she would open those haunting eyes again. I didn't want to see those eyes again for them to give me nightmares. They were completely frightening, stopping my heart for a second.

"My name's Hinata," she whispered her voice hoarse but somehow still light and beautiful. "Hinata Hyūga."

I stared at her. I had thought that maybe they were related but I didn't think I was right. I smiled, even though I knew she couldn't see it. I took her left hand in my right and held it. Her fingers had a series of rings on them. Most of them were black, crimson and a dark purple. The ring on her thumb was a skull ring. I hadn't noticed them until this moment. I held her hand anyways because I knew in my heart she needed one. She squeezed my hand.

"Th-thank you." she whispered.

I scooted close to her, our shoulders touching, ice running through me but I didn't move. My teeth felt like they would start to chatter since I was freezing inside my hoodie but they didn't, just like how I knew I should release her shaking hand but I couldn't.

She placed the bag over her eyes again before taking it off. She flipped her bangs from her eyes and even though they were closed, squinted them. Her cheeks and neck were still smeared with the dark blue tears. She took a deep breath and her eyes fluttered open. She didn't look at me and I didn't really expect her to. I really didn't understand anything that was happening. Her head turned in my direction then and she blinked repeatedly before her eyes became fixed on me.

"H-how d-do they l-lo-look?" she stuttered.

They didn't look frightening like that had the last time, instead they looked like Neji's, that haunting serenity laced within them and that tender lavender ring, the kind that was so light it almost looked white in its own.

I smiled. "Better," I assured her brightly even though I knew some sort of uncertainty was straddling her, "much better."

She nodded and glanced down. "I uh, I c-can hard-ly see." She said.

"Is there anything else I can do for you? Don't hesitate to ask," I said, holding her hand tighter.

She started nodding her head and her teeth chattered. "Y-you'll k-keep o-our Legeem Kapasula **(a/n I forgot to mention this but a Legeem Kapasula refers to someone who is needed by the world. They are like grand Kapasulas, they are not limited to just clans. Sasuke is a Legeem Kapasula in the running; he is needed by his people.)** alive." She stuttered, hugging herself while holding on tightly to my hand.

It felt as if my hand was freezing over, the blood becoming stationary, unable to move, turning my hands purple but even as I felt it, it wasn't happening. I felt something, I didn't know what it was and the world flickered in, then out, then in again. I gasped, trying to focus but the world kept spinning.

"L-ook." She said, drawing my hand closer to her.

The halls shifted, the world spun around and around like a roller coaster over and over again. I opened my mouth but I couldn't scream and she let go of my hand instantly and the world came in again. She was on her feet, staggering away from me and gasping. She hit the wall, holding on to it, the ice pack slid from her cold hands. She looked at me, her eyes wide.

"W-what did you do?" she asked traumatized.

I rose but my feet caved under me. What was happening? I had no idea what had just happened. I was just sitting there and suddenly I was feeling the world turn up side down with icy chills.

"I didn't do anything."

"No!" she screamed.

Now people were seeing her, walking far from her as her hands started to bleed again. It was running from the joint in her forearm.

"You…you just…"

"What? What did I do?"

"You just… our future," she trembled, "You just wiped it all out! All of it!" Her white eyes morphed into black ones. She ran a panicked hand through her hair and white tears, white as chalk trickled from her eyes. She touched it, looked at her fingers before screaming. "No, no, no, no, no!" she said.

I tried to scramble to my feet but she raised her hand in the gesture that said 'stop'. It was like gravity anchored me down on the floor.

"No," she said again shaking her head. She touched her tears with her hand again and looked at it. "You wiped it out, I can't see what's happening!" her eyes darted around and around, looking for something, anything at all.

"What does this mean?"

"A God is here." she gasped. "A God is here!"

She shot down the hall, running with her hair fanning out behind her. I stared ahead of me. I could still see her there with black eyes, as hallow and empty of everything. Her black eyes saw into nothing, bounced off me. Her eyes couldn't look through me like the white ones could, didn't see into my soul or saw right through me. What just happened? I scrambled to my feet, tears running down my face and started running down the hall. Someone grabbed me and this time I screamed. The world was spinning and it was all closing in on me.

So I had imagined all of that? That wasn't real? My mind just played a trick on me again? This wasn't possible, not so soon.

"Sakura, chill out it's me."

I was breathing hard and my body hit against the locker. All three eyes of her flashed through my memory, her tears, her acid blood and her scream. What did I do and why did I do it? Was this real? Was any of this truly real? I gripped my head and slid to the floor. Why was my mind doing this to me?

I felt her chills lingering on me, freezing my body like I was stuck in a freezer. My teeth chattered and I pulled at my hair, tears rushing down my face.

"Whoa, Sakura, we need to get you to the nurse, you're hands are turning purple." Tenten said.

I was shaking and my teeth were chattering. My hands were starting to feel numb just like the rest of my body. My insides felt cold and hollowed out, carved away like there was nothing inside me. I felt distant within myself, so far away from my own flesh in some different universe. I felt soulless.

What was happening? Why was it happening? I didn't understand. I couldn't understand and I felt like the one person who could help me was gone. Sasuke left and I didn't know what to do. My brain felt like it was going to pop and I heard a loud shrieking sound. I pulled harder at my hair, my mind contracting, and my blood vessels in my head popping and the loud noise never ending. I didn't realize that I was the one who was screaming until someone clamped a hand over my mouth.

I looked up but I couldn't see anything. I pushed whoever it was off me and stumbled to my feet, using the lockers to guide me until everything just turned upside down and my body hit the floor. I thought I would black out but I didn't. Instead my back arched painfully as something started pulling out of me. I was screaming and writhing on the floor, my body sliding and turning. Something was tearing out from me, being ripped out of my body. I felt my bones snap, I felt the pain and fire of something I never felt before. I couldn't stop shrieking. It was agonizing and it wasn't stopping! It wouldn't stop!

I had felt pain before. I had felt all kinds of pain many times but nothing like this. I felt my body twist and I screamed some more, hoarsely with agony seeping out of my body. My back arched more and more and more as though whatever it was, it was being pulled out of my chest. It felt like I was going to snap my own spine.

I couldn't form words, I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe and I couldn't function. All I felt was pain, agony, fire surging through me and something tearing from my body, from my soul, from my essence; from my entire being. I felt something being torn and ripped out like stitches into your skin. My feet moved wilding as I skidded on the floor, writhing and screaming. My eyes were wide open but I couldn't see anything but the white light above me coming from the all bulbs.

I felt like my lungs would burst and my voice box would explode. I was pulling my hair, yanking it out, scratching my arms, digging my finger nails into my flesh trying to stop it but it wouldn't stop! The pain wouldn't stop! What had she done to me!

I saw a flash of black and red as something like cloth flew over my face.

"Found her."

_**And there you have it folks, another chapter! Hope it didn't suck! GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU GUYS AND GALS STARTING SCHOOL! I don't have school until September, yay me? O.o**_

_**Loving you,**_

_**D.V**_


	19. Chapter 19

_Here we are! So the lack of reviews has put a clunk in my mood lately to be honest and then I have this pile of school work to do that I should have done during the summer but waited until I only had one week left to start doing and I'm doing 8subjects. And I'm broke and being broke sucks. And yes, I know you all don't need to hear about my shitty problems. -_- So I'm also kind of stressed out. Now, I don't know when the next chapter will come out but it will be soon but after that, things are probably going to slow down. Um, I guess I have been lacking motivation and I'm having writers block and as you know, I can't upload a chapter unless I'm sure nothing in it needs to be changed. So…we'll see how it goes? **Don't abandon me that's all I ask, stick with me!**_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Nineteen] **

He heard her screaming before he even got there. His chest tightened painfully and he burst through the doors. Heads turned and he staggered back. His brother was in front of him in seconds.

"Why haven't you done something?" Sasuke asked brushing past him to where Sakura was tied down to a slab.

Her back was arched, blood running off the sides of the slab, pooling on the floor. She was bleeding from her back. Her fingers scrapped into the wooden slab, her nails bleeding, her shrieks unbearable as they were coated with pain beyond and above him. Her eyes had rolled over and from her chest; black smoke rose as if gravity was pulling it out of her. Sasuke scolded himself for noticing her perfectly round breasts, pink nipples that would fit perfectly into his palm.

"We can't do anything Sasuke," Itachi said, "We can't control your soul at this stage, that is a task for you."

"This is the first stage isn't it?" he asked looking at her.

She'd already cracked her spine and about four ribs. He could tell just by looking at her. He had no idea how long this had been going on but he knew he needed to do something. He stood next to the slab one hand out stretched in the black smoke over her chest. His red eyes flared and his fingers glowed a crimson almost neon.

He glanced at Itachi. "Get out." he said. "Get Krystal, she won't be able to make it without her."

Itachi nodded and everyone in the room hurried out and the double doors closed.

She was writhing, screaming in an agony that pulled inside of him. His essence hit against him and he staggered, pain surging inside of him. He looked down at the hole in his chest, burning through his shirt. Ice blue and neon blue essence floated out of him almost like smoke. He fought to catch his breath. His other hand gripped the wooden slab, crushing through it and he hissed before gritting his teeth and mumbling under his breath.

Pain gripped him in his chest, tightening over and over again until he had to go without air. Black smoke started coming from her mouth and nose and black liquid ran from her eyes. The hole in his chest started getting bigger, he could feel it. He could feel his flesh being torn apart and his chest being carved out. He'd felt worse over the years even though it hurt it was nothing compared to what he'd felt throughout his existence.

"Patron de întuneric, mânuind in mine, ma taram inauntrul esenta mea, am polifuncti sufletul meu să fie în continuare." He chanted continuously.

His free hand gripped his chest as it tightened even more than it already had. He let go of his chest, ignoring all his pain and focused on Sakura. When he had talked to Shikamaru he had been told about this. It happened with powerful souls. His soul was trying to take control, trying to get free since it had been awakened inside of her and knew its true owner. It wanted out of Sakura but that couldn't happen. A soul that came out on its own would have no use to him. It was also the first stage of the three that needed to happen before he could take his own soul out. He could speed up this process on his own but he didn't want to do that.

His soul was being a rebellious pain in his ass right now. Why couldn't the thing just stay put until he figured all this out? Couldn't it try to stay inside her a little longer and not try to kill her by running to him? His soul wanted to be inside of him, he understood that but shit couldn't go down like this. Not if it would kill Sakura. He should have known that as soon as he left his soul would come running after him unable to withstand the sudden distance. He was still on debate within himself on that one and that meant his soul had to stay put.

The black smoke that filled the room dove back inside of her, up her nose, through her mouth and into her chest. It was as if she sucked it all up. It only took seconds for the smoke to vanish and her body lay limp and bloody. The doors banged opened before he even reached it and he looked around.

"Where is she?" Sasuke asked immediately, his eyes darting back ever second to Sakura's limp body on the slab.

"She's on her way, don't worry Ototo, she'll get here." Itachi said.

There was a gust of wind in the long halls and she was there, leaning on the wall like a drama queen smiling and looking around. "Some called?" she asked dramatically.

Itachi coughed to hide a chuckle. "Yes dear, Sasuke is in need of some help," he said.

She looked at him and her smile faded instantly, her eyes softened with deep concern. She looked around. "What's wrong?" she asked instantly.

"He's found his own," he said.

Her mouth opened in an 'O'. "Really?"

"Yes Krystal. She needs some healing now, the first stage has passed." He said.

She brushed passed him quickly, wind following her as she entered. They followed her inside and she looked at Sasuke. She waved her hands feebly.

"Reveal to me," she said. Sasuke gritted his teeth and Krystal gasped when the hole in Sasuke's chest came to light. "Sasuke you need healing too." She whispered.

He shook his head. "Heal her. I'm fine." he said stubbornly.

Itachi was beside Sasuke and took his arm. He guided Sasuke to the single chair and forced his brother to sit. He knelt before Sasuke and tore off his shirt. The hole in Sasuke's chest was large and looked pretty nasty. Itachi knew Sasuke could take care of himself but he still needed to make sure.

"Alright, let's see what we have here," he said.

"It's fine, you know it will heal on its own." Sasuke said.

"It's already healing." Itachi murmured to his younger brother.

He noticed how every second Sasuke's eyes followed behind of him to Sakura. Itachi sighed. This was all complicated business. He should know. It was hell for him when he found Krystal. He looked back behind him to see what his wife was doing. She had freed Sakura and turned on onto her stomach. She screamed and tripped back over her own foot upon seeing Sakura's wounds.

"Holy shit." she said stumbling back. "This is bad, Itachi, this is really bad."

They were on their feet in seconds. Sasuke was standing next to Sakura unable to move. All he could do was stare; looking at her ripped skin, brutally torn apart. Her entire spine was showing. This first stage had burnt through her upper clothes, showing her back to be bare yet scared, burnt, bleeding and torn. His hands fell atop the slab, suddenly unable to keep himself up right like he should. His knees wobbled for the first time in his entire life and suddenly, he was afraid that she would actually be lost. Krystal shook her head and marched right over to the slab.

"Sasuke, honey, you need to sit." Krystal said. "Don't worry, I can fix this." she assured him.

He didn't move. He couldn't bring himself to. Instead he took her hand in his as limp and cold as it was. There was no blood pulsing through her, her heart had stopped. Krystal wasn't someone who could bring back people from the dead very often, she wasn't allowed to do it without Asanephpa's consent or more specifically, a those watching over them now. However, this was different. She wouldn't really be bringing her back from the dead because in truth, even though her heart stopped, she wasn't dead. She was travelling (stuck between bodily consciousness and soul awareness) and Sasuke feared where she might be.

Krystal took a deep breath and placed her hands on Sakura's back, touching her spine and everything. She dug her finger nails into Sakura's body and began harshly kneading it, rubbing into it. The lights over head flickered and the ground shook as she worked. Sakura started screaming, gritting her teeth and groaning in pain. Her free hand balled into a tight fist as she shrieked. Sasuke held her hand tightly as she cried out and her hand held his fiercely as though she was clinging to him for life. He didn't let go. He clasped her hands with both of his and knelt down until his breath was right next to her.

Krystal didn't have time to watch them as she worked into Sakura's back, her nails digging into her, working her flesh, her bones her everything. The room light kept flickering until it became a deep thin red. With force she took Sakura and turned her over and started working her stomach. Her fingernails pierced her clothing as she worked into her skin. Sasuke didn't let go of her hand and even if he wanted to, she wouldn't have let him go. Her screams started to die and became painful whimpers and light painful sounds. Soon, she was silent and the lights came back on and the world stopped shaking.

Krystal sighed and clapped her hands. "All done. Boy that sure was something," she said as she swayed.

Itachi's hand smoothed around her waist and her weight was placed on him. "Are you alright?"

She laughed. "Oh Itachi, I'm fine, she just took a lot out of me than I thought she would." She admitted. "She has something, something deep inside of her. I could feel it…it was almost pushing me away as if it didn't want someone alien healing her body. I had to overpower that to heal her." She said her voice light.

With a sudden scream Sakura shot up on the slab, panicked eyes raking over the place. Instantly Krystal pulled her sweater from over her head and quickly slipped Sakura into it, protecting her innocence. Sasuke slipped his hands under her and lifted her off the slab. She was shaking and her hands wrapped around his neck and her head buried into him. She was crying hysterically and he headed to the door.

He looked at Krystal then at Sakura. Krystal nodded.

"She'll be fine, just…stay with her for a while. I think she needs you right now."

"And her other belongings?" he asked.

She wrinkled her nose. "Kurimi!" she said and smiled. "Her backpack is there, in your room between your bed and night stand I think. That's the best I can do in terms of her belongings." Krystal said apologetically.

"Thank you," he said his voice sincere and soft.

She smiled and her hands fell on to Itachi's own that was around her. Krystal wasn't a Japanese woman; she was a woman from the islands. She was thick boned –as in, she had a nice small waist in comparison to her beautiful hips, she was a curvaceous woman- with beautifully big brown eyes. She had a Hershey's chocolate complexion and a warming smile. Her hair was black and stopped at her shoulders. She was a beautiful witch indeed. She had the aura of love when she came into the room.

"You're welcome Sasuke," she said sweetly and shooed him off.

The doors opened and he walked through the door down the halls. He could still hear them as they spoke.

"Does anyone else know?" Krystal asked warily.

"No and he wants to keep it secret." Itachi said. "She's the worse I've ever seen." He said.

"She is. She's worse than I was. I hope it doesn't kill her." Krystal said. "Sasuke deserves someone, don't you think? It's about time, he's too alone." She said sadly.

"Come and sit, you're about to faint." He was softly. "Was it that hard on you?"

"It was." She said her voice light. "This is really the worst of all of us. She's going to have to go through this and it's not going to be pretty. Do you think Sasuke is going to spare her? He's always getting the short end of the stick, it is unfair." she stated.

"I think he wants to." Itachi said reluctantly. "She's pure and like you said, he needs somebody."

Sasuke tuned them out after that. He didn't need to hear them discuss him like he didn't exist. He whispered something under his breath before putting Sakura in the car and driving to his home and taking refuge in his room. He placed her gently on the bed and she trembled. She shifted so she was just sitting at the edge of the bed, her feet touching the ground.

He knelt down on both knees before her. Before he knew what hit him, she was on her knees too, her hands tight around his neck crying. He tensed for a moment then eased into her, his own hand wrapping around her as her body shook vigorously. He could only imagine the hell he had accidentally put her through. His hand smoothed through her soft hair as he held her.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered swallowing all his pride.

She was shaking her head. "Please never leave me like that." she bawled.

He rubbed her back and if he was being honest he felt like complete shit. He should have known this would happen soon he just didn't know that going away would be a bad thing. The trauma such pain must have caused her. He sighed.

"I promise," he said after a long while.

He knew something like that was bound to terrify anyone and from what he knew she'd been going through that for two days before he got there. They had refused to have him leave the meeting without a good reason. He couldn't tell them about Sakura and so he had to wait it out. Once the meeting was over he came as fast as he could.

"Do you want to spend the night here with me?" he asked in a low, careful voice.

She nodded, her head buried in the crook of his neck. They stayed that way for a long time and he knew he owed it to her. She'd been through a living fucking nightmare. No human really deserved to go through something like that and for so long. He hated the colour of her hair but it was very long and soft. Those were two things he did like. He loved long hair, always had, and loved it even more when it was soft. He threaded his fingers through it as he tried to calm her down. She would be having nightmares about that tonight, he knew it for sure and she shouldn't sleep alone.

When she got her crying under control he pulled back and got to his feet. He held out his hand and she took it and he pulled her up. She looked devastatingly tired and her eyes were bright red and puffy.

"You need to shower. I'll be right back," he told her heading for the door.

Her hand grasped his immediately and he looked at her. She didn't say anything but her eyes were wide and pleading. She didn't want to be alone at all. He slid his hand down hers and their fingers intertwined. Fine, if she didn't want to be alone then he'd take her with him. They headed into his large bathroom and he clogged the hole in the tube and turned on the pipe for it to full. He dropped a couple bead like things into it, three golden leaves and one green thing into it. She watched him silently. He pressed something on the inside of the tub and glanced back at her. The huge marble bath was full within a about a minute and the water started to bubble. He pointed over to a series of elaborately carved wooden cupboards down the far end of the bathroom.

"All the things you'll need are those cupboards. Take whatever you like, it's perfectly fine." He said heading to the door. "The water will remain hot until you come out and pull out the stopper, take your time. Clean clothes will be on my bed when you get out. If you need anything, just call." He said and almost stepped out the door.

"W-wait." She said. Her voice was lower than that of a low whisper. If he wasn't listening he possibly wouldn't have even heard her.

He looked at her. "Yes?"

"What will I wear?" she asked.

He smirked. "Don't worry; I'll have something out for you when you come out of the bathroom it will be on the bed."

"I need something that covers my arms and my legs." She whispered staring at the floor.

He nodded. "I'll handle it." He assured her and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

He'd had girls over who insisted on leaving some sort of clothing behind. They had been washed and he was grateful that he hadn't thrown the last few of female remains out of his house like he had asked Minie –his young maid- to do for him. The last girl he had fucked at his house had left her long Pj bottoms when she had stayed over. He rolled his eyes at the memory. She had 'thought' that they were really just going to 'sleep' together. Her fake innocence was enough to have him consider changing his mind that night. He placed that on his bed with one of his long sleeved, white cotton shirts. He really didn't want to give her something to wear that originally belonged to another girl for some reason but it was clean and it was the only thing he really had at his disposal in that moment.

He went into the living room and grabbed the phone before heading into the kitchen to grab a tomato. Shikamaru answered on the first ring.

"What happened?" he asked.

Sasuke swallowed and ignored him, speaking nonchalantly into the phone as he kicked off his shoes and started walking around his house aimlessly. "Could you do me a favor?" he asked taking another bite out of his tomato.

"Did something happen?" he asked.

"It's a simple yes or no response I'm looking for." Sasuke informed him simply.

"Alright, what'd you want me to do?"

"What have you been telling her…" he tried to find a word. "Guardian or whoever she's fucking staying with?"

"I called Ino, told her that something happened and that she should tell Rin a lie that Sakura will be staying at her house for the rest of the week."

"And?"

"Rin wasn't too happy about that but she said alright so Sakura's covered until Monday." He informed him.

Sasuke nodded. "What about Ino?"

"She wants to know what's going on but I'm not sure she should know just as yet."

"And you've got that covered?"

"I have it covered." He agreed. "Is she alright?"

"Oh Sakura?" he asked taking another bite out of his tomato. "Don't worry about her. She's taking a bath."

There was silence on the other end for a while and Sasuke couldn't stop the smirk from coming onto his lips.

"Sasuke you didn't." he said finally.

Sasuke chuckled. "Your minds are so dirty it's repulsive. Of course I didn't." he said amused.

"What's with the good mood?" He demanded. "Shouldn't you be worried or something?"

"Should I?" he asked taking in the last of his tomato. "I gotta go."

"Wait-"

"The house is fucking burning down or something like that." he said and hanged up.

He shrugged and flipped the phone in his hands before pulling off his shirt and throwing it on the couch. He preferred to be in his house shirtless –revealing his half naked, tribally and elaborately tattooed back and smooth chest in all its glory. It was a bad habit he seemed to develop. Even with someone at his house he felt the need to be comfortable and that included being shirtless. As he was about to put down the phone it started ringing. He rolled his eyes and took his time going back into the kitchen. He didn't have to think twice to know who it was.

"What?" he asked as he yanked his fridge open.

His eyes scanned everything in there yet somehow he wanted nothing. He thought about drinking something like an Apple Vodka but thought better of it with Sakura in his house. Any other girl, fine but Sakura, no. He didn't even think she knew what alcohol really was at how innocent she seemed.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Tami snapped on the other line. "You haven't called me!"

"I just got back," he said and pulled out another tomato and slamming the fridge door shut with his foot, walking back into the living room. He looked through the glass onto the outside, at the stars that twinkled. Stars actually showed in the area where he lived, a bit secluded and away from all the hot and bother of town.

"So?" She demanded. "You always call me, what's changed?" she asked softly.

"Nothing," he said.

"Do you have a girl over Sasuke?" She demanded suddenly insecure.

"No." he lied easily.

"Are you sure?"

"Did you call me for any specific reason?" he demanded coldly. "I'm busy." He said irritated. He was not in the mood for her.

There was a long stretch of silence. "You know what; I'm just going to go."

"Hn,"

"I said I'm going to go." She repeated as if it was supposed to mean something.

Sasuke moved the phone from his ears and clicked the end button. He juggled the phone in his hand and ate the rest of his tomato. That was his second one he noted. He didn't really eat earth food a lot considering that he was grown on food from Kamalpa all his life but he did love tomatoes and had to give them that. It was good and juicy. Normally Sasuke would have had a girl over or would be at the club or doing something not as boring as waiting for Sakura to come out of the shower. But normally a girl like Sakura would not be at his house and so; he had to be waiting in boredom which was out of the norm.

Life really didn't hold anything special about it anymore, not here on earth where everything was just so…simple and monotonous and he found that with each passing decade he got bored easier. Sasuke threw the phone and it landed perfectly in its cradle and he flicked on his hands, keeping himself up. He stayed like that, his feet pointing in the air as he thought.

He'd been trying not to think about her but all the Kami knew it was hard as hell. She was in his house, taking a shower in his bathroom and was going to sleep in his bed, in his clothes, under his sheets. She didn't understand how intense this entire situation was and he really didn't know how to explain it if he was being honest with himself. He wasn't a pro on explaining things to others and he found all the talking that needed to be done just plain tedious. He didn't truly understand how bad this entire situation was to be honest. He knew his soul was strong; it was obvious it would be he just didn't know that it would be **that **strong. The first level of his soul had managed to almost come all the way out.

There were three levels or layers of a demons soul, that is, the demons who had one since most demons didn't. There was the Saphamarvada stage which was the first stage. This was the color of intent which was either black or crimson. His was black, of course it would have been since he was a dark abyss of nothing but coldness and fear. His signature color was an icy and electric blue. The second stage would take the color of half of his essence which would have been the electric blue. This was the warmest of colors. The warmest of layers as in, an abyss of electric blue that would not chill you with fear or heartlessness but grace with heat to lull preferably to death. When that layer of the soul was reached it was known as the Kitsumarvada which was stronger than the first layer. The third layer he knew would be the cold ice blue, the strongest part of his soul; the core. That was the Achimarvada.

If he was going to save Sakura and protect others from getting his soul, he'd have to wait until the Achimarvada stage to begin. It was only then that things could be fixed that would provide an outcome in Sakura's favor. However, as the stages have been set into motion, it would be easier for people to pick up what's going on. People might now begin to come after her.

He heard her heart beat as she came out of the bath. He knew he shouldn't be listening, it seemed wrong. He couldn't help himself though and listened to her deep breathing as she dried and opened the bathroom door. He heard her movements and he could picture them all in his room. He heard his room door open and flipped to his feet. He snatched up his shirt from the couch as he made his way down the short hall to the room. He was putting on his shirt when he walked through the door. He froze when he saw her and his chest wrenched and his knees seemed to buckle.

_Mother of God. _He whispered to himself as he stared at her.

She hadn't heard him and whipped around as her fingers threaded through her long, wet and curled up hair. She looked like a goddess. An exhausted one but a goddess nonetheless. He had made sure to pull out the smallest of all the shirts he could find but even that swallowed her up and she looked down and wiggled her toes. She looked cute as the foot of the pajamas showed. She was short and his shirt seemed endlessly long on her. She glanced back up at him and she shook out her wet hair, so long and pink. The wetness made her hair blaze as if it was on fire. She smiled but he could tell it was forced.

If she was like all those other girls that came to his house he would have fucked her right on the spot. Her wet hair fell around her, long and lose yet curled since it was wet; dripping at the long tips. He found the fact that she was in his shirt plain and simply sexy as hell. If she wasn't so cute and he didn't know how innocent she was, the thought wouldn't seem so bad.

He leaned on the door frame and crossed his arms.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked after a moment of silence.

She shook her head before she started shaking out her hair. It was so long he couldn't imagine how she was going to get it dry. He sighed and watched her.

"Then what do you want?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm alright." She whispered. She glanced at the bed, the plush black smooth sheets.

He flicked his hands smooth and elegantly. "Go ahead, it's fine." He eased.

She sat down and took deep breathes. She glanced at him. "I uh… I need to take my backpack." She said.

He made a 'come here' motion with two fingers as he leaned on the door and the bag, between his bed and the night stand came into view, stopping right in front of her. The fact that he could wrap his power around objects to control them was highly convenient.

"H-how did you do that?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I just can." He said simply.

She smiled and rummaged through it weakly. She took out a large zip lock bag and headed into the bathroom. Three minutes later she came out, placed the zip lock bag back into her backpack and sat down on the bed. He watched her and he knew she was exhausted.

"Alright," he said pushing himself off the door frame and headed over to the bed. He pulled down the sheets and took up a remote and pressed a button, turning up the air conditioner. He moved his fingers and the blinds covering an entire side of the wall at the left pulled open, revealing the dark blue sky, the stars and the forest. She blinked and he smirked.

"Nice view don't you think?" he asked in a dead panned voice.

She smiled and nodded. "Is it because you're famous you always get the pretty places like this?" she asked.

He nodded. "I seem to be a bit special." He told her. "Alright, get into bed, you need to rest."

She didn't object but got in willingly. "What about Rin?"

"Trust that everything is taken care of." He said to her and clapped his hands, shutting off the room lights only leaving the moon shining in to light the room. "Good night." he said heading towards the door.

She shot up out of bed. "No!" she cried out in a panicked voice. He froze instantly. "Do-don't leave me here."

He did a double take. He looked at her, standing there with her wet hair and big frightened eyes. He looked around the mostly dark room, the shadows lurking in the corners and under his furniture. He nodded and closed the room door. He walked over to the bed and waited until she got in before he climbed in under the sheets.

His bed was a simple king size bed which he had found convenient for fucking and his oddly bad sleeping habits when they decided they wanted to kick in. She got comfortable on right side and he on the left. He knew that he really wouldn't be able to sleep with her in his bed so instead he settled for the stalker thing he had picked up. He listened to her breathing and her heart beat.

He knew when she fell asleep and his body stiffened when she started to move restlessly. She started making sounds that hinted at her being afraid. She was twisting and turning, rolling and curling and uncurling every other second. She made a painful whimper and continued to move. She stretched out into a star fish, then curled into the fetal position, then wrestled left and right, on her stomach then on her back. Her movements were relentless.

He sighed, sat up irritated with the constant movement. He watched her, debating whether to wake her up or not. He looked at the clock which said it was midnight on the dot. She sat up with a startling scream and her hand flew to her mouth. She looked around panicked and his hands touched her, gently pushing her down back on the bed. She was shaking and silent tears ran from her eyes as she looked up at him. He looked down at her and brushed the -no more than halfway dry- lock of hair out of her face. He slid down into the bed, pulled the covers up then turned to her. His hands smoothed around her tense waste and he drew her back to his chest, holding her close. Her heat radiated and her body continued to tremble.

"Relax," he said in a deep, thick compelling voice.

Her body started to loosen against him but he knew she was still crying. Her body molded perfectly to his. He felt a bit odd though since he wasn't known for the cuddling kind of thing.

She took a deep breath. "Did Tami go through this?" she whispered.

He pulled her hair away from her neck and face and leaned into her, his lips inches away from her beautiful skin. His voice was low.

"No, this is only between us." He said.

"Why?"

He was silent. "Because this is how fate wants it." he said. "I'm sorry Sakura."

She nodded and her hands felt on top of his, holding him to her. "It was bad." She said softly.

"I know,"

"Do you?" she asked curiously. It wasn't a retort or an accusation like he might have thought it would be.

"I do. I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

"Am I going to have to go through that again?"

"Yes." He conceded. She was silent and guilt took him for the first time in a long time. "Do you hate me?" he asked after a long time.

"No, I don't." she said tenderly. "Do you hate me because of this?"

He chuckled. "No, I don't hate you Sakura, no matter how much I make it seem like I do."

"But you hate this." she objected.

He sighed. "I'm starting to think it might not be so bad." He said reluctantly.

"Where will you be?" she asked vulnerable.

"With you,"

"Do you promise?" she asked strained with tears.

He kissed her neck. "I promise." He said this time without thinking.

When she fell asleep again she was still. She didn't seem to be uncomfortable and had relaxed against him. He closed his eyes and let the beat of her rhythmic heart take him away into a land of dreams. She felt fragile and soft like a cloud as she held onto him loosely. He fell asleep holding her in some other world where there was comfort all around him.

_**And there you have it you beautiful people! I hope the starting of this new school academic year has been good for you guys, I hope you're making new friends, handling being new kids well and having a rocking time. Cause, let's face it, school sucks ass if you don't have awesome friends, SO MAKE AWESOME FRIENDS BECAUSE YOU ARE AWESOME! **_

_**Endless love and gratitude,**_

_**D.V**_


	20. Chapter 20

_Well here we are guys, this is kind of a filler chapter but you know, it's important and all. I hope you enjoy it and we'll see each other in a little while…I hope. READ AND ENJOY._

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Twenty] **

"Aren't they just the cutest little things?"

Sasuke sat up instantly and looked ahead of him at his now open door. Shikamaru peaked in from behind Krystal and smirked. Sasuke drew his hands over his face and looked at Sakura who stirred lightly. She turned on her side, away from the sun streaming in and her hand fell over his lap. He sighed and glared at Krystal who was standing in his door way.

"What are you doing here?" he growled.

She frowned. "Aren't you just the happiest thing in the morning." She sneered sarcastically. "I just came to see if she's alright."

"She seems pretty fine to me." Shikamaru said with a smirk.

Sasuke flicked his fingers and the blinds closed, blocking out the unwanted light. He moved Sakura's hand gently and came out of the bed. He pulled the cover back over her and glared at his intruders before making his way out of the room. They followed him and in his living room, making themselves all at home was the rest of his Knights.

Naruto jumped up. "You didn't fuck her did you Teme?!"

Shikamaru hit him over the head. "No he didn't you idiot." He said.

"Keep your voices down." he said heading into his kitchen. "She's still sleeping."

"She's not having nightmares is she?" Krystal asked.

Sasuke looked her and frowned. "No seriously what are you doing here?" he demanded.

She glared. "Hey, don't you think you should be thankful I saved your little girlfriend?"

"I already said thanks." He shrugged. "What'd you fucking want Krystal?"

"Nothing!" she yelled frustrated. "I swear I just wanted to make sure she was alright and that you're still planning to perform at the banquet next month."

"Aha!" Naruto said jumping into the kitchen from over the short little wall that separated it. "I _knew _you wanted something."

She frowned. "Alright, alright so I want something so what? I have best interest at heart."

Sasuke closed the fridge with an apple in his mouth. He took a bite and brushed past Krystal. "No," he said.

She was in front of him in a flash. He stopped and stared at her blankly. "What'd you mean 'no'?" she demanded.

"Why do you women always do that? I'm pretty sure you heard me. I'll be on break." He said simply, side stepping her.

Naruto laughed at Krystal. "Take it up with our manager." He said triumphantly.

"If you don't perform Naruto I will turn all your Ramen, no matter where you are or where you get it into a pack of dirt for a decade!"

He gasped. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me whiskers." She threatened.

"Shut up will you?" Sasuke said annoyed as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Right she's sleeping. How is she?" Naruto asked plopping down on his couch.

"She's fine."

"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure she should have had nightmares." Krystal said matter of factly.

"By the way Sasuke was stuck to her like glue, I'm pretty sure he found a way around that." Shikamaru said and Krystal laughed. Sasuke glared at them all to hell.

"Sasuke you promised you would do it!" Krystal whined.

"I did no such thing." He said eating his apple.

"But, come on!"

"Why do you need us to do it? Get a demoness." He shrugged. "Hell you could call Gaara."

"As if he'd do that." Shikamaru said rolling his eyes.

"Not helping asshole." Naruto grumbled and turned on Sasuke's flat screen Tv that hung on the wall. "Besides Krystal, we're the Sharingan for humans, we don't do gigs for our own kind, I mean really."

"Dickhead!" she fumed. "I will talk to your mother about this!"

Sasuke chuckled. "What's your problem? Shouldn't you be bugging Itachi about this? He's the one you're married to. Not me."

"You little bitch! Masachiko!"

Sasuke hissed when the rest of his apple turned into worms, dirt and insects. He released it and glanced at her before walking away.

"You're cleaning that up."

"Sasuke you owe me." Krystal pouted.

"Krystal, you can sing, you're a witch, all of you can sing. Gather your witch herd and perform at the banquet."

"Sasuke."

"Neji's in charge, whatever he says." Sasuke replied. "You're annoying the fucking shit out of me." he said and headed into another room.

When he came back his face was washed and he had a giant bottle of Grey Goose in his hand. He admired the bottle but didn't even move to open it. He just stared at it. For some reason, he didn't feel for it like he knew he usually would.

"Dude should you be drinking with Sakura in the house?"

He shrugged. "She's fine."

"Are you sure?" Neji asked carefully, his voice tight. "She had been going through it for days."

"Are you doubting my skills?" Krystal demanded.

Silently Sasuke put the bottle down. How odd. He thought that if he looked at the bottle he would be tempted to drink it but he just…wasn't.

"Alright Krystal, tell you what." Shikamaru said being the smart and persuasive one he was. "We'll do the banquet _if _you agree _not _to do it in blue and pink like last time and we don't have to be there for the entire evening." He said.

"That was horrible!" Naruto groaned.

"Did I mentions it's taking place at Sasuke's parents house?" she smiled.

Sasuke almost choked. "You never told me that." he said.

"You didn't ask. Alright deal, no pink and no blue. The theme was crimson, black with a hue of silver though I must say, the people helping me plan this have no fashion sense but I will, like always, make it memorable. Now, I will be going." She said.

She clapped her hands twice and vanished with a puff of smoke. From out of nowhere there was a light mumble and the worm and dirt pile on his floor vanished. Sasuke leaned on the wall and looked at all of them.

"Alright," he said in a very irritated voice, "I want to go back to sleep so why are you all in my fucking house at seven in the morning?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure you want to go back to Sakura," Shikamaru smirked.

Sasuke glared and folded his arms. "I'm serious."

"Tell him Neji." Naruto said.

Neji sighed and his jaw tightened. Sasuke stood straighter and looked at Neji. "You already know the situation between Hinata and I." he said.

Sasuke nodded. He knew that for weeks Hinata had been locked up in the meeting room at her father's mansion because she refused to marry Neji. Neji also was disagreeing to marry Hinata. He couldn't do something like that and they have been battling out this thing for a long time. Hinata had almost been killed because of the refusal too. From then on she'd been staying with Neji and out of her father's house.

"She's been having visions. Visions that make no sense to her or to anyone else and I told her that she should stop reporting to Pentitantum and such about them. I told her that from now on her visions are told to us and to us alone. I don't want any of the other councils getting any fancy ideas and it became clear to me that her visions are tied to our mission and expectations, not theirs. When we came back, I've been with her. She had a vision and it involves Sakura." He said.

"It involves her how? What is her part in all of this?" he asked.

"To begin with, Sakura saw her when she was having the visions and the aftermath of it all. That wasn't supposed to happen. Mortals aren't able to see that." Neji said.

Sasuke nodded, his lips pressed and jaws tight. "Continue."

"When she touched Sakura she had another vision. It was a Shiroi Hikari (white light) vision." Neji said.

"What?" Sasuke asked. He shook his head. "That's not possible. Shiroi Hikari is a myth. She can't have a Shiroi Hikari vision when it doesn't exist."

"But it does Teme." Naruto said shifting uncomfortably. "You were busy with Sakura…we couldn't bother you but we went to her. She wouldn't stop bleeding and crying that weird colored thing and her eyes were black. It was a Shiroi Hikari Sasuke, it couldn't be anything else."

"But then that means-"

"Something Divine is on earth." Shikamaru said. "I've been thinking about it and if it's true; If what we've seen so far is real, that could be the power Awakening everything else."

"That doesn't make sense." Sasuke said. "What reason does something divine have being here on earth that they couldn't do for the Other Realm?" Sasuke ask. "They're divine; they don't need to come here to get a job done and they know their physical bodies can't survive here."

"That's true but we don't know the full story. Whatever it is I know it has the power to awaken other powerful beings unintentionally. It could be causing a whole lot of problems here for us. It would explain all the impossibilities that are happening." Shikamaru said.

"What about Sakura?" Sasuke ask.

"There's something about her." Shikamaru said. "There has to be because if she is just human, she wouldn't be able to see Hinata regardless of your soul being inside of her." he said. "Hinata's eyes are pretty fucked up right now."

"So what do we do?" Sasuke asked them.

They were silent and the air seemed still. Neji was the one to talk. "We search and wait on Hinata. We can't sort this out within a night, this is going to take some time." he said. "Hinata is under my care, I can't have her near her own right now. Suspicion won't do us any good."

"And you're sure no one else knows this?" Sasuke asked.

"Positive." Neji said.

Sasuke tensed when he heard her feet touch the floor and her body begin to move towards the door. He turned to ice for a second when the door of his room opened.

"Shikamaru and Neji, you need to get as much information as you can by any means possible. You need to speak with Hinata again. This stays with us at all times no one else must know, not even Itachi. We need to figure this out a bit more first. Naruto, you're on search duty and responsible for hunting this out. You need to ensure that the Pentitantum don't end up sticking their nose in our business. Neji I don't want to give you much to do considering that complications you're having with your own right now."

"Thank you Sasuke," he said nodding his head.

Sasuke nodded. "You know what to do so now get to it and get out." He said making a shooing gesture.

Naruto sat up and frowned. "What why?"

"She's up and I don't want her to see you guys here."

"Why not?"

"Get the fuck out." Sasuke growled putting on the shirt he had previously taken off.

"Fine, fine dude, we're going." Naruto said.

Quickly, almost blindingly, they were out his front door and out of this house. Speed, it was a marvelous thing indeed.

Sakura jaywalked into the living room while rubbing her eyes. "Sasuke?" she asked her voice low and hoarse.

He walked over to her and took her hands into his holding them at her side. She looked up at him and yawned. He smirked, amused.

"Good morning." She whispered.

"Do you want to go back to bed?" he asked his voice persuasive.

She yawned again and nodded. Her pink hair was tangled and a mess atop her head, dangling in knots in her back.

"Do you?" she asked sleepily.

"You're still tired." He whispered.

She nodded again, her eyes half closed. "Are you going to come back?" she asked. "I was having a nightmare." She whispered. "I don't want to feel alone." She conceded.

"Alright, back to bed we go." He said and scooped her off the floor.

Her eyes widened and she erupted in laughter, her feet wiggling to get out of his hold. He smirked and flipped her on the bed. She laughed and started to scrambled out of bed. He held his hand up.

"Ah," he said, "hold it right there. Under the sheets, now." he ordered. "We're going back to bed."

"You know it's morning." She said doing as he demanded.

He got in on the other side. "And you should be at school but you need to rest so relax." He said gripping her and yanking her towards his body.

She giggled when she hit against him. He held her close and her hands fell on top of his. "Thank you." she said. "For keeping the nightmares away."

He took a deep clean breath. "You're welcome." He said as they stayed that way and fell asleep again.

_**There you go guys, enjoy your lives as much as you can and work hard!**_

_**Much love,**_

_**D.V**_


	21. Chapter 21

_Guys I honestly don't know when the next chapter is coming but it won't be any time really soon and I'm sorry about that. I've never been this busy and this broke in my entire life, trust me. I hope the idea that everyone keeps beating Sakura up and sending her in the hospital isn't getting too redundant for you. Don't worry, if it is, we've only got like three more instances in the story and the story is going to be like 40 chapters. Sorry about my ramble, READ AND ENJOY! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Twenty One] **

Sakura closed her locker door and almost had a heart attack with Sasuke standing there. He was leaning on the locker looking ahead of him. His position on the locker was a languid one, very passive and smooth. His left foot was propped on the locker he was leaning on with his arms folded.

"You didn't pick up." He said simply, his voice dead.

Sakura shifted her bag and looked at all the other people staring. "I didn't think I should have."

His jaw tightened. "And why is that?" he demanded.

"It's not fair." She whispered.

Then he snapped, his body moved and she was pressed against the locker with him in front of her. Her hands were pinned to her side, his hands placed on both sides of her head. The locker made a loud sound when his hands hit it with force.

"What would you know about fair?" he demanded his tone low so only she could hear. "Do you think I want any of this to happen? You _need_ to cooperate with me," he seethed.

She swallowed and looked down. "S-Sasuke," she whispered, "you have a girlfriend."

"Is it my fault fate didn't take that into fucking consideration when it placed the most important thing to me inside of your weak body?" he demanded. He was breathing hard and his hands balled into a fist. "Now is not the time to be a Good Samaritan, we were doing _perfectly fine _before. Why do you have to screw everything up now after I tried so _hard_?" he gritted.

"What do I have for you?" she asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered, her lips trembling.

He took a deep breath as anger racked over him. "Sakura it's not because I want to kill your self esteem, this is just how it is and you know it. Stop fighting this. This is overbearing for me as it is."

"I don't want this! It's wrong!"

"It's already been decided. There is nothing you can do about it!" he roared his patience thinning.

"Whatever I have you can take it, I don't want it Sasuke!" she screamed, ducking under his arm and running down the hall.

"Fuck!" Sasuke swore his fist connecting with the locker beside Sakura's, leaving a huge dent in it, ripping it off the hinges. He pulled his fist out and watched the locker door clink to the floor. "Fuck!" he fumed, red eyes swallowing up the whole entire world.

Sakura ran down the halls and leaned on the locker, harsh tears rushing down her cheeks. She gasped for air and slid to the floor. Her chest tightened and she cried harder, not caring who walked passed her in the halls and saw her.

How long was she going to act like she didn't need him? She felt so flustered and frustrated. She was such a horrible person. He had a girlfriend and she knew that and so did Fate so why was it doing this to her? She didn't want to ruin a good relationship but she was feeling it in the pit of her stomach how much she wished he was hers and how much all she seemed to want was him and him alone.

It had been a long time and she was trying her best to avoid him and to not get sick even though she wished that he would come around regardless but that too she knew was wrong and tried not to encourage. Without him she was feeling so lost and confused; so distant from the world and everything around her. Why was this happening? Why did she feel such a strong pull to be around him so much? He was taken and she couldn't have him and she cried over this a million and one times. She was a very horrible person for doing all of this.

She wished she had some sort of control over this but she didn't and all she was doing was fighting it. She had nightmares that she had never had before at night. The incident with her on that slab and that amount of pain replayed in her head every time she closed her eyes and she would wake up in cold sweat. She knew she needed him and she was fighting with all she had to just stay away.

When she woke up after she went to bed again in his house she realized how comfortable with him she had gotten and they had almost kissed again. She couldn't keep doing that! It wasn't her place. It was hard to truly avoid him but she was trying her best to.

She didn't really know what was between them but she felt like she was suffocating. She felt like she was forcing herself not to breathe because some way, somehow, Sasuke was her oxygen and he wasn't hers to have.

She took deep breaths and rose from the floor. She walked slowly, steadily back down the halls to get back her things. She knew he wouldn't take them up and a cold shiver ran up her spine as a rage she had never known rammed into her. She gasped and bent over, the air being knocked right out of her. She gasped again as blood leaked from the side of her mouth. She wiped it and staggered back.

The rage was like fire, consuming her down to her last cell. She gasped, grabbing for air as the world flipped like a roller coaster. She shook her body and closed her eyes. She didn't want to feel this either, she didn't want to know that she was trying to please everyone else yet he wasn't pleased; that he was this angry with her. It made her feel horrible inside.

She walked, bumping into people who snorted and sneered at her. She reached her locker and looked at the one next to hers on the other side. It was completely opened. She sighed. She didn't want to do this. She wanted to coil away into herself and allow this puppet master to abolish her and find another empty, soulless vessel to play with and please it to its heart content. She couldn't become one with this puppet master; she couldn't swallow him whole and let him control her like she should. She couldn't absorb this puppet master and faint away in his creases and dark lulling sounds like the bottom of a river, flowing between the spaces of rocks. She just couldn't do it.

She bent and picked up her books and went right to the bathroom. She took of her bag and placed them next to the sink. She washed her hands then her face. She washed out her mouth and the rusty, nasty taste of blood and took a mint. This was so weird how she could feel things like this and how it could rapture some unknown part of her and make her shed blood.

The doors banged open and she jumped, hitting her bag off the counter in the process. She bent down and started picking them up before heels came into her view. She looked up and locked eyes with Tami. She sneered and gripped Sakura by the hair and yanked her up. Her bag fell from her hands as Tami harshly dragged her by her hair out of the bathroom.

"You little whoring bitch." she said in calm anger yanking Sakura down the hall as people stared.

Tami harshly pushed her and Sakura hit into the locker, she slid to the floor. Tami turned, tapping her foot loudly with her heels and glared at Hanabi.

"You better be right about this." Tami spat out venomously.

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Tami I swear I'm telling the truth, I saw it with my own two eyes right here! She was flirting with him and when he told her he didn't want her she fucking flipped out, screaming like some crazy bitch at him. The fucking bitch is trying to step in between the two of you, are you really going to let her?" Hanabi asked.

Tami whipped around to face Sakura. "You little slut!" she screamed. She marched over to Sakura crumpled on the floor. "Do you think my boyfriend is going to come to your lovely rescue like last time? You think I don't know what you've been up to? You don't want to have me as an enemy I swear it to you because I will fucking walk over you a thousand times and string you on the line of losers to show on display." She threatened bending down to come face to face with Sakura on the floor.

People had gathered all over the halls watching the nasty scene around them. Tami smiled and stood looking at her heels. Sakura scrambled to her feet and pressed herself against the locker. Tami looked at her three friends, standing there and shook her head.

"Hanabi, her," Tami said, "Her! As if I'm stupid!" she fumed.

She turned around and before anyone knew what had happened her hand connected with Sakura's face. Sakura's hand flew to her cheek.

"You vindictive whore!" she screamed. "Listen to me you man stealing worthless tramp. Sasuke is my boyfriend, not yours and no anyone else's. He is _mine_ and if I had my way you wouldn't even be breathing the same air as him. Bitch!" she revved slapping Sakura again. "If I even see you looking at him bad things will happen to you and that is a threat. I will put you in the hospital for days, don't mess with me and things that are mine." She said darkly. "I can't believe I missed you sneaking up under my nose!"

"I told you she was trying to take Sasuke from you." A golden haired girl next to Hanabi said.

"I don't know how you didn't notice." Hanabi said. "I wanted to make sure but this morning when I heard her talking about how she was going to go to Sasuke's house this after noon –as if she even knew where it was- and then when I saw this flirting thing happening and when she flipped out I just knew I had to tell you Tami, I knew I had to. I couldn't keep something like that from you."

Tami took a deep breath and looked at Sakura. She smoothed over her hair and smiled. "Well, you better be careful, you don't want to wake up bald one day, now that would just be horrible." She laughed darkly. She looked around at everyone in the halls. "I'm sure you all have somewhere to be!" she screeched. "Scatter!" she ordered.

They shuffled up and about their business instantly, walking away from her yet making way for Tami and her crew to walk all the same. Sakura knelt on her knees, held her head down with her face in her hands. A metallic and hard taste filled her mouth and she trembled. What just happened?

A hand took hers and pulled it from her face. Sakura gasped and pulled her hand away. She backed away and the girl held her hand up and blinked frightened. Her eyes looked extremely big today with their foggy like essence. Sakura swallowed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Sakura looked up and took a deep breath. She held out her hand timidly and Hinata took it quickly, pulling her to her feet. She grabbed Sakura's bags and books from the floor before smoothing her hand around Sakura's waist. Sakura's hand fell around Hinata's shoulders. Hinata was a bit taller that Sakura and her body was a bit more fuller too.

"I should have warned you," she whispered as they headed down the hall.

"I don't…I uh, I don't know what that was about." Sakura sobbed.

"I do, Neji called me a few minutes ago and told me to check on you but I was too late. I'm so sorry."

"What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything except talk to Sasuke." She whispered. "Do you want to go the nurse and get your face checked out?"

"Uh…no."

"Then I'll look after it for you." she insisted. "They're vicious…I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Are you alright, you're breathing really heavy."

Sakura forced a smile. "I'm fine." She lied. Her stomach felt like something was clawing her and everything inside of her was turning to stone. "I'm sorry I upset her."

Hinata was silent as they headed down the hall. Sakura thought she was done talking when Hinata took her to the foot ball field benches. They sat on the one up top and Hinata handed her bag to her. Hinata started looking through hers before she stopped and looked at Sakura's bleeding lip. She used the tip of her finger to wipe the blood from the corners of her mouth before she looked at her bloody finger tips. She licked them almost nonchalantly. Sakura stared.

"Don't be creep out; I'm sure you've come to terms with worse." She whispered. "You know, you're the first person besides Neji and a few others that I speak to without stuttering?" she asked.

Sakura shook her head.

"I'm socially awkward." She explained. "You can tell why I guess." She said pulling something out of her bag that Sakura had never seen. She turned to Sakura. "Ahh." She said opening her own mouth in demonstration.

Sakura opened her mouth and Hinata giggled. "You're just too cute." she said. "It should be illegal." She said swabbing inside of Sakura's mouth with something that felt like a feather. Hinata pulled out a gum and gave it to her. "Chew it, it'll heal inside your jaw and stop the bleeding." She said with a small smile.

Then silence took them. Hinata sat down, knees together and hands in her lap. Sakura chewed awkwardly. Hinata scratched her head and looked around.

"I uh, I don't really know what to say to you." she admitted.

Sakura looked down and forced a smile. "I kind of figured." She said.

"I want to thank you but I'm sorry…I didn't mean to do what I had the other day." She said. "I just…it's complicated." She explained.

Sakura nodded. "That's ok."

Hinata looked around and pressing her lips together. "I should tell you the truth…you did help me."

Sakura shook her head. "No that's ok, really it is."

"It's not," Hinata said as if she was about to cry, "I shouldn't lie you know, because I can't and I shouldn't keep this from you, you really helped me I mean and I lashed out at you the other day and practically lost my mind." Now she was bawling her poor white eyes out.

Sakura scooted closer when Hinata's head fell in her hands. She wrapped her hand around her shaking body.

"Hey, it's okay I swear." She whispered. "And whatever is bothering you, it's going to be okay I'm sure."

She was shaking her head. "Y-you don't k-know that! Everyth-ing is just s-so bad!" she sobbed, her body going through a series of shivers. "I'm so afraid." She cried.

Sakura sighed. "I'm sure it's going to be better and it can't be as bad as you think."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't but if you keep thinking about the bad things you'll never make yourself feel any better and living in fear of something doesn't help us in life. I'm sure, no matter what it is, there can be good outcome." She said softly.

"W-why a-are you al-always h-h-here when I n-need somebo-body?" she sobbed.

"I don't know, maybe fate thinks you need somebody." She said holding Hinata close.

She took a deep breath before she rested her head on Sakura's lap. Sakura looked down on her as silence took them over again.

"I envy you humans." She whispered crying. "You have it so easy, nothing to worry about except what to wear to the prom and what college to go to, which guy to date and who to hang out with. So many pedestrian things, nothing too serious. You guys have it so easy I wish I was one of you."

Sakura looked away and forced a smile. So easy Sakura had life. She didn't think she did because she's never worried about things like that but maybe she did have it easy compared to others.

"Aren't you one of us?"

Hinata laughed. "No I'm not. Sasuke told me he talked to you already, I'm Kavazwalian."

Sakura nodded. "Oh,"

"You're not afraid of me are you?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't discriminate." She said softly.

Hinata laughed. "T-that's a nice way to put it." she smiled. "I've never had a friend before." She admitted. "Everything is just bottled up inside of me, I have no one to talk to."

"You can talk to me," Sakura sighed.

Hinata smiled and took Sakura's hand. She closed her eyes and started to breathe deeply. "I'm sorry for you." she whispered compassionately with her eyes closed.

"Why?" she asked confused

"You should stay away from Sasuke." she breathed out. "But you can't and you won't though it's what you should do. He's a bad person with living darkness coiling inside of him."

"I don't believe that."

Hinata chuckled and her voice wasn't the same. It was lighter, more beautiful and sounded colder. Chills ran up her spine and cold bumps rose on her flesh.

"There is a good in everyone right? That's reserved for humans, not for us." She said. "'_When the sun comes to rest, shadows shall awaken from the darkest chest and reveal complexity of ice from another, adjoining power to power and losing the life of one that shall fuse with heaven up under the night and the chest of darkness will come to light.'_" She said. Released Sakura's hand instantly and jumped away from her. She took a deep breath to steady herself and not fall over the benches. "You're a magnet." She said.

Sakura looked at her, confused. She didn't know what to say since she had no idea what just happened. Why did all the weird things always happen to her? It's not like she asked for any of this. Hinata looked around nervous.

"This is too weird." She whispered.

"What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, or at least I don't think so."

"What just happened?"

"I just prophesized." She said distantly. Her head wiped around. "He's coming. I'm going to go and leave you two alone." She said getting up instantly and heading down the benches, almost tripping over her own foot.

Sakura looked but didn't see anyone. She kept looking and soon Sasuke came into view. He stood down at the bottom of the benches before making his way up towards her. Sakura looked down and her heart raced when she felt him in front of her.

"Look at me." he said.

She held her head down and he bent down and held her chin firmly. Her eyes darted around, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Look at me." he commanded. Her eyes trailed to his and he held her gaze firmly.

"I can't." she trembled.

"Why?" he asked. "Why are you so afraid of me all of a sudden?" he asked, his voice low and pleading.

"You can feel it can't you?" she asked.

"But I don't know why." he said. "You have to tell me that."

"It's not right. I don't want this between us."

"You're lying."

"I-I," she ripped away from him and slid away on the bench. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "I don't know you and I'm not your girlfriend, I'm even close to who she is so why are you making me feel this way? I don't need any more reason to want to be here! I don't need another reason to be angry with life!" she cried out flustered, her head falling into her lap. "I don't need any more reasons to want to stay here when I can't. It's not fair!"

He sat down next to her. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you get it?" she sobbed. "Sasuke by this time next year I won't be here! I'll be dead! I don't want any of this! I don't want things I can't have."

He was silent for a long time and took a deep breath. "You don't want to talk about this. I know that, but all you have to do is cooperate Sakura, that's all I'm asking."

"I've been trying." She bawled.

"But?"

"I can't anymore." she said strained. "I just can't Sasuke, I can't do it."

"I'm not taking anything from you Sakura."

"It feels that way."

"Because you keep pulling away." he said softly. "You keep trying to get away when you get this far and it doesn't work that way; not with us."

"There is no us,"

"There is and the sooner you accept that, the better." He said coldly. "This isn't a game stop treating it like it is. Just suck up whatever is holding you back and do your part. You're not the only one who hates this."

"I'll pick up next time." she said taking her bag.

He looked up at her, stunned by her sudden change. "Stop lying to me." he said rolling his eyes sadly.

She nodded and headed down the steps and ran off. He watched her go and sighed again. This was just so frustrating.

Sakura wiped the stupid tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want this to happen yet it did and she didn't know how to deal with it. She couldn't explain how much inside of her heart cracked at how she had to walk away from him. He had a hold on her that was tearing her fragile heart apart.

Ino was waiting for her out front. Sakura brushed past her and got into the car. Ino went over to her quickly and got in as Sakura buckled her seatbelt.

"Hey, slow down, what's wrong?" she asked.

Sakura sniffed and wiped the tears. "I don't want to talk about it." she whispered.

"But Sakura-"

"Ino please," she teared up, "I just…don't want to talk about it. Please take me home."

Ino nodded and started the engine. Ino took Sakura home and Sakura thanked her and went inside. She took a shower and put on her PJ's before throwing her sobbing body into the bed. She cried until she fell asleep.

_The sun was bright, beaming down on her so hard her eyes hurt. She was looking out at clear waters and she shivered. She knew this place. She had been here before hadn't she? She glanced down at herself and realized she was in those same clothes she had been in the last time she was in the tropical heaven. _

"_You came back." A smooth voice said._

_She jumped and feelings ran through her body. She looked down between them to see that they were holding hands. The squeezed his hand in the sand and he squeezed her responded. She felt like she had come home somehow. She turned and looked ahead of her. _

"_I came back." She confirmed. "What are you looking at?"_

"_The moon has gone behind a blood cloud…it's the closest thing to heaven as it gets here." he replied. "What are you looking at?"_

"_The water, it's so pretty here."_

_He chuckled. "If you want to say that." he responded his voice ice cold chills. "Why are you hiding?" he asked after a moment. _

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I'm sure you know." he whispered. _

_She looked down at her lap. She did know but she couldn't understand how he knew too. He felt like home, everything about him. She felt like she had known him since time began that he too knew her for that long if not longer. She felt like she was shielding her soul from him and it sent guilt welling inside of her. She knew this boy mentally and emotionally, though physically she didn't even know what he looked like. _

"_I'm afraid of making a mountain of mistakes." She whispered._

"_Hiding won't make it go away." he told her. _

"_I know, I just…don't know what to do. I don't want to come between anyone but even then I still end up messing things up. I'm afraid things are only going to get worse. I don't to get attached to things I can't have, things that aren't mine, I'm trying so hard to not prove everyone who puts me down right and I'm failing." she said, opening up herself to him. _

_He nodded, his head still aimed at the sky above them. She felt that pull towards him, a pull from inside of her body; deep inside. The wind brushed soothingly against her body, calming any nerves she had before. She felt safe here, comfortable holding his hands, not wanting to let go. He held on tightly to her too, not letting go but not holding on too tight so she couldn't pull her hand away if she wanted to. _

"_Crush your fear and burn it inside the depths of the hate untouched in your heart then throw the ashes away." he told her. "That is what you must do or you won't move forward."_

"_I'm scared. I don't want to-"_

"_You can't please everyone and Heaven is no place for fear and uncertainty." He said coldly. _

"_I'm not brave, I'm not courageous, it's not that easy." She told him honestly._

"_Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." He quoted.__ "__Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." He told her coldly._

_Though his voice was cold and smooth his words though were warm and wrapped around her, comforting her. Why was it that this man who she has never seen knew what to say to her? How did he do something like that? Why were they trapped in two different worlds?_

"_Why aren't you here with me?" she asked, her voice wavering with emotions. _

_He turned his head to the opposite side of her as if he had heard something from somewhere. Though they were in different worlds, she couldn't help but look too. She didn't see anything but she hadn't really expected to. _

"_I am in hell because it is where I belong. I've sent my own soul here." he replied. "I am dark inside of my heart and darkness cannot dwell anywhere else but in hell just as the good is cast aside and thrown on the side of heaven." He said. "I'm evil as you are good."_

"_Like Ying and Yang?"_

"_Exactly like that." he confirmed. "Do you like it here?"_

"_It is nice." She said. "I am sorry that you cannot see what I see."_

"_So am I but such is the way of the worlds that bind us to ourself." He shrugged. "I want to take you for a walk, you are more than stability to me but I cannot."_

"_Why not?"_

"_It is time for you to go." He said. _

_She frowned and her heart wrenched painfully. "I don't want to go. I want to stay here."_

"_You can't."_

_She looked down and her eyes casted teary shadows. "I belong here, not out there where everything is so complicated and all I seem to do is make things worse."_

"_You belong with reality, not in dream mentality." He said. "You'll come back won't you?"_

"_I want to, I promise I will. I don't want to leave you."_

"_And I don't want you to leave me either but, that's just how it is."_

"_Will you miss me?"_

"_You are all I think about here." he admitted. "You are all I want here, I need nothing else." _

"_So why don't you let me stay?"_

"_Because though you can give me all that I need, I cannot do the same for you and leaving pride aside, you don't know how much I wish I was able to satisfy you. Your life isn't here, you know that. You should go."_

"_But-"_

"_You know what to do." he said dismissing her. _

_She squeezed his hand and everything went blank. _

Sakura's body launched up with a start and she was bawling hysterically. She felt like she'd just lost a piece of herself. What was this dream doing to her? After she sat there, crying her eyes out she felt grainy and gritty. She scampered out of bed and looked at her sand covered feet and her bathing suit. The last time this happened, when she came back home from hanging with Sasuke they were gone.

_Sasuke. _She thought and her throat closed up as a sob got stuck there. She struggled but made way to her bathroom and got cleaned up. Her body wouldn't stop shaking and the painful void inside of her chest seemed to echo with its own emptiness. Had she made a terrible decision by doing this? She didn't want to hurt him and he was trying hard, he _had _tried so hard to get them where they were.

When she came out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of her bed, her hair tangled behind her with tears falling from her eyes there was loud _BANG _on her door. She jumped and her room door flung open with a _BAM _as Atona stormed in her eyes red.

"You slut!" she screeched throwing one of the two champagne bottles she had right into the wall.

It shattered instantly, sending splinters and its liquid flying about. Sakura jumped from her bed quickly, trying to get as far away as possible from Atona. What in the world was this now? She was seething, rage consuming every single part of her. She waved the other bottle around manically as she marched closer. Sakura swallowed, fear clamping her small body in place.

"You mother fucking whoring ass bitch!" she screamed. "I told you, I told you to stay AWAY FROM THEM!" she barked sailing the champagne bottle right into Sakura's abdomen. It shattered there, the splinters embedding into her flesh as the alcoholic substance seeped through her clothes. The force of the full bottle sent her almost flying into the wall.

She screamed painfully as she tumbled to her knees, falling with a hard and painful _thud _and a sickening crackle from the joints on the fallen splinters. Pain surged through her body, up her spin and her abdomen blazed with the fires of hell. She fell on her back writhing in pain on the floor, the glass shards cutting into her stomach with each minute movement. She didn't even have time to scream, the sudden shock of everything silencing her.

"I'm teaching you a lesson you dumb ass bitch! Do you really think you can take Sasuke from me when I'm so close to getting him? You're fucking sick in your self-centered head! Sasuke is fucking mine and you think I want you trailing him like a love sick puppy, talking up to him in the halls like you know him? You're not even good enough to be the floor he walks on! What makes you think he wants you huh? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HE WANT'S _**YOU**_!?" she screamed like some crazy psycho manic. "I hope you fucking bleed to death right fucking here, teach you to mess with a chick like me." she sneered storming out.

Sakura rolled painfully, muscles clamping around the glass in her body and the ones in her back sinking in. She looked at her red hands and her body shivered. She coughed the pain so intense she couldn't see clearly anymore. The world was spinning like a moving wheel. She felt the darkness and numbness begin to take over and she struggled, she struggled so hard to not let it consume but it was in vain when she went unconscious.

_**I hope this chapter was good enough for you guys, I hope you enjoyed it and all of that. I hope you guys keep supporting me. I swear, you guys are my backbone sometimes and I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me this far, reviewed, followed, favorite and alerted and everything else you can suddenly do with this new FF that we've got swinging here **_

_**Deep, endless love, **_

_**D.V **_


	22. Chapter 22

_Wow so I choose to do this instead of studying for my Chemistry test. Being a Senior in school sucks ass. Anywho here we are guys! As you know, the next chapter will come sometime next month, I have like days free next month so we'll see how that goes. Now, after the next two chapters, the story really takes a different angel so I hope you're ready for that. READ AND ENJOY! _

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Twenty Two] **

It was the rays of the sun smiling in from the window that woke her the next morning. She was crumpled on the floor. Her eyes fluttered open painfully, the sun far too bright. She tried to shield herself but her hands were numb. She groaned, pain seeping into her body and shocking her mind to life. She jolted and gritted her teeth in a muffled scream as she felt something sharp grind into her stomach. She clenched her hands as feelings tingled into them.

She gripped the edge of her bed and biting the insides of her jaws to prevent her from making a sound she pulled herself to her feet. She staggered and felt a sharp and triggering pain in her left knee. She looked down and it was swollen and almost purple. Her leg felt dislodged from the rest of her body. She sat down on her bed and pulled the blouse over her head. The tears stung her left cheek that was tender from being on the carpet for so long. She outstretched her knee painfully and took deep breaths as she started to pull out the little shards from her body.

She hated her body; there was nothing beautiful about it like all those other people with scars who were just the most amazing people in the world. Her scars and thick burnt marks were disgusting and she could never imagine someone loving her.

Ami was right, why would someone like Sasuke want her? He deserved someone beautiful, not someone ugly like her. She had burnt marks, spots and thick scars that looked ugly on her back, upper arms, thighs, chest and stomach. She couldn't imagine wearing a dress to have people look at how ugly she was. The tears came faster as the thoughts sang in her head.

There was a soft knock on her door. "Sakura honey, you're going to be late for school if you don't come down. Ino will be here soon." Rin called in her sing song voice.

Sakura forced a smile even though Rin couldn't see it. If she could still smile she'd be fine. "I'll be right there Aunt Rin!" she called.

"Well alright but hurry it up, it's already Friday you know, no need to be late this morning when you have no school tomorrow." She called.

"I'll be right down, I promise!" Sakura called again with a wider smile. She had to make herself believe it.

She tore out the last shard and moaned loudly in pain as blood started to ooze slowly out. She took a deep breath and using objects to steady her, she limped to the bathroom. She dressed her body and her cuts. She put on her clothes which took a dreadfully long time and was so painful she was on the verge of passing out when she was finished. She slipped in flip-flops because she couldn't bend, not when her knee was funny like this.

She went to her bed to sit down, clamped her mouth around her pillow to muffle any noise she would make and with a burst of courage she forced her knee correctly into place since clearly something had been wrong with it though it wasn't fully dislocated. Her head throbbed and she wailed, bawling wildly into the pillow at the intensity.

_Oh god what are you doing!? _Her inner screamed.

_Just fixing this from now. _Sakura said.

_You need to go the hospital! You can't walk on that! Have you lost your damn mind? Don't let me get dark with you this morning. Sakura this is irresponsible and stupid, you need some help._

_I don't deserve help, besides; people will think that I'm looking for attention like everyone thinks I am. I can take care of myself and I don't want to burden anybody. _

_It doesn't matter what people think! Stop this foolishness right now. Do you know how hard that bottle had to hit you to break? You're probably bleeding internally or something. _

_I'll be fine. I don't want to provoke anyone else, I just need to take what's coming. I'll see Tsunade tomorrow, if anything is wrong, it'll be fixed then. I just have to make it through today. _Sakura said breathlessly.

She was gasping when there was another knock on her door.

"Come on Sakura, Ino's waiting out front for you and you haven't had breakfast!" Rin called. "I've packed something small for you, chop, chop, let's move it!"

"Coming!" she called breathless.

It all hurt so badly. She limped painfully to the door, grabbed an ugly big brimmed hat, put it on and tugged it down to hide her tender and red cheek. She took the door knob and opened it. She smiled widely.

"Ready."

Rin stepped back and her hand flew to her mouth. "What happened to you?" she asked after a second.

"What do you mean?"

"You're a disaster!" she said. "Are you sick? You don't have to go to school today if you don't feel well Sakura. You should have just told me you weren't feeling well from the start. You're so pale, sweetheart is everything alright?"

Sakura shook her head and waved her hand idly. "Don't worry, I'm fine I promise." She lied.

"Sakura what's going on? Tell me right this min-"

"I'm perfectly fine." She insisted with a smile. "Honestly, just a little headache, it will lighten up soon."

Rin looked at her dubiously but nodded regardless and headed down the hall. Sakura walked as best as she could, trying her best to hide both the mind blowing pain she was in all over and her limp. When she reached downstairs Rin handed her a bottled orange juice and a bowl of fruits to eat on the way to school. When she reached the front door, tears brimming in her eyes from the amount of pain she was in, Rin stopped her.

"Sakura, you're limping, is everything alright?" she asked.

Sakura looked at the door, refusing to make eye contact. " Oh I just hit my knee on the way to the door, it's nothing." she lied.

She was such a horrible liar; she couldn't even make it seem true to her own ears. She didn't want to tell the truth though because she didn't want to get Ami into trouble or make things any worse for either of them. She didn't even want Rin to worry about her either. Rin shouldn't be worrying about her after all she was a freeloader. She didn't want to pass her place here when she didn't belong with them. She was a bitch and a slut and a whore so she couldn't even blame Ami for what happened to her.

"Alright well if anything happens today just call me alright? You don't look so well today and I'm not stopping you from going to school but if you suddenly decide that you need to come home, don't even hesitate to call."

"Yes aunt Rin." She said. "See you later." She said softly as she opened the door and left.

When she reached to Ino's car, she just got in and buckled her seatbelt. Ino looked at her but this time she kept her mouth shut, started the engine and started driving. They drove in silence as Sakura ate her fruits and drank her juice. The silence was painful but it stayed there between them like a layer or a brick wall separating them from each other.

Ino parked in the parking lot and Sakura used her remaining orange juice to take her needed pills and whatnot before she came out of the car and closed the door. She left, leaving Ino sitting in the car and sighing. She didn't know what to think or even what to do with her best friend. She didn't know what was going on and it didn't look like Sakura would be telling her anytime soon.

Sakura limped down the halls painfully and paused, leaning on a locker, holding her knee as tears fogged. No. she was strong and she wasn't going to let this stop her from coming to school and being normal. She deserved this and she had to live through her punishment for the sins against Ami that she had knowingly committed. She was gasping though since it was taking a lot out of her to hold her screams and tears in, keep it together and walk such a long distance on a bad knee. Each breath she took her stomach tightened painfully and red with pain. She could feel little by little blood trickle from the cuts but she was sure it was nothing.

She took three shaky breaths and stood, balling her hands into a fist as she straightened her knee. She started down the hall once more going to her destination. She paused again to lean on a locker. She had to go down this hall and take a turn and she would be at her own locker but she couldn't move so quickly.

Two girls came to stand next to her and one of them opened the locker. "So," she gushed before glaring at Sakura, "Sasuke and I totally did it." she said.

"You so did not!"

"I swear, I totally did! It's the best thing to have ever happened to me!"

The other girl gapped. "You're such a liar Brit! That's so not true!"

'Brit' gapped and turned to face her friend. "Are you really calling me a liar Tiff?" she demanded. "You think I would make something like that up? He totally fucked me and trust me, he fucked me real damn good. Don't be upset that it wasn't you, I thought you would be happy for me, some friend you are."

"Oh he fucked you? Prove it!" Tiff sneered her face turning red.

Brit laughed and pulled her black hair from her right shoulder to reveal a neck with many red pecks and marks. Tiff almost had a heart attack.

"You slut!" she screamed. "How could you have sex with Sasuke!?"

"What are you talking about? He wanted me honey and I wanted him, you really couldn't expect me to say no to _that_. He's a god and he knew I had it good." She said twirling a lock of her hair.

"You're the worst best friend ever!" Tiff yelled, red-faced as she tried to hit Brit in the face.

"What are you doing?" Brit screamed grabbing Brit harshly by the hair.

"You're a stinking slut! You're not a friend of mine you bitch!" She screeched, clawing her nails at Brit's face as Brit pulled her hair.

Tiff pushed Brit who tripped back, hitting Sakura in the process. Sakura eyes shut tight as she stumbled backwards on her feet. Her knee made a nasty, sloppy sound. Before Sakura could move out of the way the both were grabbing and clawing at each other. Tiff rammed into Sakura and Brit elbowed Sakura harshly in the stomach. Blood flew from out of Sakura's mouth. Tiff and Brit moved like maniacs about the hall, fighting over Sasuke. Brit kicked harshly at Tiff but missed her heels connected with Sakura's knee. Sakura let out a high shrill, the pain jolted her body and she descended to the floor in total blackness.

**Sasuke's P.O.V (not first person) **

There was a loud ruckus down the halls and Sasuke rolled his eyes. The last thing he wanted to hear was that it was a fight over him. Enough of that had happened last night he couldn't deal with any more woman drama- he liked to think he had enough to deal with as it was.

He smelt Sakura down there but in effort to do what she wanted he had totally killed all his senses as best as he could when it came to her. He could smell her but it was faint even with her nearness. He wouldn't admit to anyone but it was actually painful to withdraw himself from her. It bothered him constantly and he felt emptier than he had ever known himself to be. He couldn't understand why she was doing this and it was so frustrating to him. He wanted this to work, he was trying so hard and he did so many things only to have her step so far back without him. He would have to do this again, he would have to keep trying to make this work. He had to make this work. _He had to. _

"What the hell is happening down there?" Naruto asked as he saw the wave of people in the halls, screaming and chanting.

"Some fight." Neji said.

"For Sasuke no doubt." Naruto said with a wide grin.

"Shut the fuck up would you?" Sasuke snapped.

Shikamaru laughed. "Should we go and see?" he asked amused. "You've started quite a few fights within a few hours Sasuke." he said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't be an ass Shikamaru."

"Then what would fun would I be if I wasn't?" he mocked with a chuckle.

"I'm not interested." Neji said.

"Neither am I, it's probably that girl you randomly fucked last night. She's probably got a big ass mouth." Naruto said.

Sasuke smirked and decided to take his best friend's bait. "Quite big indeed," he agreed.

Naruto laughed loudly. "You're such a fucktard Teme!" he said making a disgusted face.

Sasuke smirked, "I did fuck her real hard, she passed out." he said arrogantly. "Fucktard, true, absolutely true."

Naruto laughed boisterously before wrinkling his nose. "I don't need to know shit like that dude, some slut with a big mouth and probably a deep throat." He made a gagging sound.

Neji chuckled as they turned to walk down a different hall. Naruto was the one to stop before he took a full step. He sniffed, his eyes closed for a fraction of a second –a scream pierced the halls shatteringly- before he zoomed down the hall, burst through the wad of people and caught Sakura's body before she hit the tiled floor. He took a deep breath and the world went still. The girls fighting stopped instantly in the mists of pulling each other's hair; other's stopped in the middle of cheering, moving etc. Nobody moved. All eyes landed on the bright blonde holding the unconscious pink haired girl in his arms. Her body was frightening pale and deadly limp.

He took another breath and his nose wrinkled. He knew something was wrong when he smelt this kind of blood. His hand slid under her small frame and he picked her up in his strong arms. His eyes scanned and he waited, listening to the slow footsteps until the crowd parted to reveal Sasuke. His hands slid from his pockets and he didn't seem interested at all. His face gave nothing away, kept the panic locked away inside of him. Naruto shifted and looked at Sakura's limp body in his arms.

"Neji?" Naruto asked deeply concerned.

"Take her to the hospital." He said simply.

Naruto looked at Sasuke who was standing there carelessly. "Well?" he demanded angrily.

"Well what?" he asked easily.

"Are you going to take her or not?" he asked irritated.

Sasuke noted every single pair of eyes that watched him. He nodded and outstretched his arms to take her body. Her body felt like dead weight in his arms, unlike other times where she was partially conscious, in this moment she was completely out of it. Her body didn't only feel dead, where his hand held her under knees it felt…lose almost. He looked at her and released the binds he had put on himself as a means of staying away from her like she had made it obvious she wanted.

He staggered back at the fierce amount of harsh blood that invaded all his senses. He felt like he was drowning inside of her, being taken over by her blood, surrounded by it, controlled by it and most of all, strangled by it. His nose wrinkled and he was out through the front doors before anyone could even consider blinking. They were in the car and at the hospital in less than five minutes and if he was being honest, the hospital was almost fifteen minutes away.

He took her inside for what felt like the billionth time. How many times had he rescued her and brought her here? It felt like Déjà vu all over again.

Nurses crowded and wheeled her motionless body away. He sat down like he had before and waited. He ignored the oohs and the ahhs, the awes and the whispers as the nurses saw him. He ignored the hearts in the eyes as they talked about his surreal beauty, his looks enough to make any woman have an orgasm on command. None of that mattered.

How sick was she? How much was she really hiding from him? If she was this sick she shouldn't even be allowed out of her own house. Something wasn't right and he didn't like the amount of secrets she was keeping from him. He knew she didn't know him much but he knew that she trusted him. If she trusted him why was she keeping so many secrets away, locking them up inside of her heart? He was the only one that should be keeping secrets and he alone. She could keep her own but only minor secrets, secrets that weren't worth being hidden in the first place. Big things like this he wished he knew about. So many things had gone wrong he didn't really know where to start.

He wanted Sakura, not just because she had his soul or because her essence was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. No, it wasn't just that. _She _was the most beautiful and selfless person he had ever met, there something about her and her view on things, her personality that made him want more of her. He wanted to hold her close, tell her his secrets and show her the part of him no one has or ever will.

He didn't know why but he knew the pull he felt when he first met her had changed. It felt as though it was his choice whether he wanted to be attracted to her or not and he was. She was nothing like all the other girls he had met before over eons. She was nothing like the fan girls, the fantasizing teenagers, past girlfriends, current girlfriends, fuck buddies or even Karin or Keiako. She was nothing like them, nothing close to them. Her selflessness was beyond something he could really understand.

How much pain was she hiding behind her fake smiles and lies? How much was she really hurting just waking up in the morning? He wondered if everything was as perfect as she made it out to be. He wondered if she was happy or pretending to be so that others wouldn't worry or concern themselves with her. He had never thought of this perspective until now but maybe she wasn't happy at all, maybe she had never ever even experienced true happiness in all her life because of whatever pain she'd been forced to go through for so long.

He had never thought she could be in pain, she seemed so happy and carefree, so loving and open but lately he kept getting that feeling that he was wrong every time he thought that. She was sick all the time; something had to be causing that. No one wants to be sick most of their life. That would more than likely make a few people sad and unhappy. He felt part of him churn nastily inside of him at the thought of her being unhappy.

He wasn't going to lie, he had been mean to her more than once and told her so many times how much he hated and disliked her. He had told her how much he wished none of this was happening and how he wished he didn't have to spend time and worry about her. He hadn't thought about how this was affecting her and her soft heart. He had tried so hard to sever the tie between them; he had tried so hard to not feel any of the emotions she felt because of how hindering they were but he found himself loosening up, releasing himself and opening up, allowing her emotions to crawl back inside of him.

He wanted to know what she was feeling, he wanted to know really if she was happy and if wasn't. He took a deep breath and decided to connect with her as best as he could in order to literally feel what she was feeling like all those other times. Since they had their little fight he tried to hard not to be in tuned to with her like he could be, to know her like he could. However now, he wanted to know how she was feeling, he wanted to be in tuned with her.

He felt as though someone had dropped something heavy in his chest and he knew, he knew she wasn't happy. The pain and agony was so fierce his body shuddered. She was hurting and not just on the inside. She was in some serious pain, bleeding and screaming, begging for someone to take her or save her. He could feel it inside of her unconscious body that she wanted nothing more than the pain to stop. She truly on the inside, wanted to die. He took a steady breath, the emotion deep and running fast. The feeling was thick, rich and so painful he felt as though she had pulled him under, so far under his chest felt like it would explode with the rawness of it.

He cast his eyes down and stared at the white tiled floor. He hadn't been keeping track of time, not with his thinking and his emotional invasion. He heard a series of fast panicked footsteps coming his way. He looked up to see all his Knights, Ino and Tenten coming his way. Ino was breathless.

"What happened?" she asked panting. "Please, tell me she's ok."

"I don't know." Sasuke said.

"Don't you even care? What if she's dead or something?"

Sasuke looked away from her and grinded his teeth. Ino didn't even know the half of the stress he was in. If she did she would have kept her mouth shut from the moment she walked down the hall.

"Ino, I think we should have a seat, I'm sure Sakura's going to be alright." Shikamaru said soothingly.

"I'm sure she's fine," Naruto said casting a side glance nervously at Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded once to aid in his friend's consolation. She was alive and that was the best he got seeing that he could hardly focus with all the overwhelming emotions inside of him. He looked down. He could hardly find words to speak. He felt terrible; horrible. He felt like suddenly he was a monster being so horrible to her when she was feeling the way she was. How had he never noticed all those times before when he was paying attention to her feelings? Was she hiding it from even herself when she was conscious? Was she refusing to acknowledge her unhappiness? That would be impossible. Sakura was selfless but not _that _selfless. _No one _was that selfless, not here, not anywhere.

They looked around before they all took a seat. There was silence among all of them for a long agonizing minute until Ino spoke.

"Did anyone come out here to tell you what was going on?" She asked. "You've been here all morning." She said worriedly.

He shook his head and was silent, his expression distant, guilty and sad. Tenten and Ino started to talk among themselves quietly and worriedly. Naruto sat next to Sasuke, the two of them sitting so much alike like real brothers almost. Their knees apart, elbows parched on them and fingers intertwined with each other. Naruto looked up and took a deep breath. He didn't have to deal with this; his love life was never decided like this by fate before. He didn't know the anchoring that was happening with his friend. He couldn't truly understand but he believed he understood what was the most important thing happening around him.

"What are you going to do?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know." he admitted to his best friend, his voice glacial.

"I think you do know." Naruto said seriously. He looked down at his two joined hands. "Stop torturing yourself." He said.

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. Naruto knew how to make sense when it really counted. He couldn't say he wasn't torturing himself because all this time it felt like that was exactly what he had been doing. He'd been trying to rip a tattoo from the inside of his body and sure as hell it was painful. He didn't want to do this to himself, he didn't want to fight this anymore. However, he couldn't just say it was because of him he didn't want to do this. Sakura didn't want anything with him either; he was doing this for her because it was what she wanted.

"This was what she wanted." He said his ice cold voice cracking only slightly.

Only someone who had known Sasuke his whole could pinpoint something like that and Naruto did. This entire thing was weighing on his best friend now. Sasuke was hurting.

"She doesn't know what she wants. She doesn't know anything, she's still a child, that kind of mentality is still inside of her. She can't know what she wants until she understands this. It isn't her choice to make Teme, it's yours." He said his voice low and husky.

Sasuke held his chin and ran his forefinger over his lips in thought. He shook his head sadly and sighed.

"I don't know what to do," he said, "There is no choice in this for any of us." He said.

"Then do what you have to do."

"And if she dies?"

"She won't, you won't let that happen." Naruto said confidently. "I can tell that this is draining out Sasuke, it's draining you in a way I've never seen. You're wearing thin and if you don't do something about it, you're not going to be as strong as leader as you've always been. We need you right now." He said.

"I know that." he said.

Naruto patted his shoulder and rose. "We become the darkness to prevent it from conquering us but we can become light to prevent it from destroying us." He said, quoting on their own homeland mottos. Naruto walked away leaving his friend to think by himself like he needed to.

She made him feel so alien, so human it was frightening. The emotions that she planted and stirred inside of him were unlike anything he had ever felt, anything he had ever imagined of feeling.

Sasuke looked up at the thick, curvy, beautiful blonde coming his way. Her breasts so large moved sexily in front of rich body. She was in a hospital coat, her hands tucked into each as she walked with two loose pony tails behind her. The blue diamond in her forehead was somewhat attractive. Her facial expression was a serious one. He knew it was Tsunade and she was in no mood for games he noted as she neared. She paused in front of all them, inspected each face before 'humphing' simply and taking a deep breath.

"I apologize for not returning here sooner, I wanted to be the one to specifically speak to all of you and I happened to have gotten held up along the way and I had spent so much time trying to stabilize…well that's not important to you young ones. I'm Tsunade Senju, head of this hospital or something along the lines of that around here." she said. "I already know who you all are so there is no need for introductions. I would like to speak to you all privately before you're allowed to go and see Sakura." She said.

"Is she alright Tsunade?" Ino asked instantly.

"She won't die Ino and that's the best I can say and I'm not even 100% sure about that as it is" She replied. "Follow me," she ordered as she turned and started down the hall.

They were silent as they all rose and followed her into the elevator and to her office. Her office was large but there were papers everywhere, stacks and stacks of them. There were files and folders all over the place, paper clips and pins, ink smears all over them. There were boxes in the corners of the room, some open and others still sealed. Her large desk had high piles of papers on them and only a clear space smack in the middle of the desk so that when she sat down in her chair, directly in front of her was a nice, small clean space; uncluttered. She went into her mobile chair and took a seat.

"Please pardon the mess, I just go here, it's been so busy I've hardly had time to even breathe." She explained. They all stared at her and she didn't flinch under Sasuke's penetrating gaze. She met it head on. "So, who can tell me the name of the person who did this?" She asked simply.

Heads turned and all eyes connected with each other and mutters fluttered among them.

"Don't tell me that someone did this to her," Tenten said, "you've got to be shititng me." she exclaimed.

"I'm not joking; this isn't the time for it." Tsunade said. "This wasn't an accident and I would like to know who did this to her. You're her friends, I'm sure you know something. Sasuke you're the one who brought her here," Tsunade said, "someone better start talking."

"I don't know what happened. If any of you guys know who hurt Sakura-Chan, start talking right now." Naruto said harshly. His eyes locked with Tsunade. "Granny –if you don't mind me calling you that, I know you can't be as young as you look- none of us right here would do something like that Sakura-Chan!"

"Boy watch your tongue," Tsunade warned.

"We wouldn't do that Tsunade," Ino said, "do you think if I knew who did this to her I'd be here? I'd be beating the living shit out of them –pardon my French-." She seethed.

Tsunade leaned back. "Well then, something did happen to her because I know things like this don't just happen on their own. Sakura was attacked. Something is going on here and you mean to tell me none of you know what it is?" she asked, her eyes locked on Sasuke. "Well?" she demanded.

"I know nothing, I just brought her here."

"And I was born yesterday," she said sarcastically, "I know who you are just as about everyone else in this entire world. I know you have something to do with this one way or another and I don't like the idea of Sakura even walking down a hall with you at the same time. You attract attention and I don't want that and I certainly don't want your crazy females abusing her. I have no proof to say that's what's going on but you know more than I do." she told him sternly. "Fix it and fix it _now_." she told him.

Sasuke just looked at her with a bored expression. Naruto shifted, a bit of guilt on his part. He knew they had something to do with this one way or the other, they had to it couldn't just be Sakura. He was sure that if they weren't in her life at all nothing like this would have happened to her.

"How is she?"

"She dislocated her knee and had been bleeding internally when she got here. She's lost a lot of blood and she has a lot of open wounds. She went into shock when we were dealing with her and she's in a coma and probably will be for maybe another week." She replied. "I've done what I can but her body is weak in every way you can think of, Ino you know the situation."

Ino looked down and shifted. "I know," she replied her voice wavering as she breathed out deeply and drew her hands over her face.

"Alright, so am I to take it you're all friends of hers?" They all nodded. She eyed them again. "Well then, if you're all friends of hers I think you all should know just how sick Sakura really is. She won't tell you because she doesn't want to be a burden but she's come to this hospital too many times since we've got here to deem healthy. She's supposed to be getting better but from she got here, she's only been getting worse."

Ino nodded in agreement. "It isn't supposed to be this way." She mumbled.

Tsunade sighed. "She has aplastic anemia, if you don't know what it is, goggle it. She has a terribly low blood count and no matter how hard we try, we can only increase it mildly and so she's weak most of the times. Her immune system isn't up to par; she couldn't fight off a mild cold if her life depended on it. She's so weak Sakura hasn't started seeing her period and probably never will because her body just can't do so many things at once.

She has problems with her cardiac muscles and her natural pacemaker is…how would you say it? 'Out of wack'? We would like to just do surgery and give her a new pacemaker but it's just not compatible with her heart and as hard as we try, it's difficult to fully figure out why. I can't count the amount of times her heart has stopped and we've had to shock it back to life. She has stomach ulcers which are caused from Gastritis –if you don't know what that is; you're also free to look it up. This causes her to have serious stomach aches and is what usually causes her to vomit up blood and or her food when she eats.

There are also things wrong with her we just cannot figure out and it's very tedious for us. I just want you all to know that this girl could use all the protection and understanding she can get considering all the battles she's facing on a day to day bases. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that she's also unstable in the mental department, just by talking to her I'm sure you can figure out her perception isn't the best in all things. Her past affects her greatly and has natured her to think the way she does which isn't very good. Also since we got here, it's as if her mind is just depleting which is why she's doing therapy to help her cope. Do you all understand what I'm getting at?" she asked them all.

They all looked at her as if they couldn't absorb everything she had just said. She didn't expect them to.

"She's…she's really that sick Granny?" Naruto asked stepping forwards, his eyes wide and blue.

Tsunade nodded. "I'm afraid she is." She agreed.

"How bad is it right now?" Ino asked. Tsunade hadn't just said anything she didn't already know.

"She'll be fine after a time. She's messed up her throat, she'll be silent for about a week tops when she wakes up if she takes the medication I'm forced to give her now, considering the circumstances." Tsunade said rising and heading to the door of the office to lead them out, "if you want to see her, come this way. Please be quiet, don't jostle the bed or step on anything. She's currently connected to central lines, monitors, drips and right now she's not breathing on her own, blah, blah, things I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Have you called her guardian?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade looked at him. "There was no answer but I intend to call again. Sakura won't be allowed to go to school or anywhere for a while and might be here for two- three weeks maybe longer if she goes into shock again which is more than possible and that's without thinking about her knee which she shouldn't be on. Rin is going to have to stay home with her to ensure that she gets all she needs, takes her medication and the sort."

"I'll take her." Sasuke said.

"Wait what?" they all said at the same time.

"I'm sorry?" she asked looking at him as though he'd lost his mind.

Sasuke shrugged. "She should stay with me,"

"I don't think so." Tsunade said. "First of all I can't do that, she needs to stay with her guardians and even if I could trust me I wouldn't be stupid enough to do something as reckless as that." she said.

"I'm sure when you call Rin she'll be warm to the idea." Sasuke challenged apathetically.

Tsunade clicked her tongue before leading them out of the office. "I don't think so Mr. Uchiha. I think you should stick to your fame and the group of shallows and leave the children of humble people alone." She said firmly.

He chuckled. "Is that so?" Sasuke asked as they headed down the halls.

"I'd advise you not to test me this day." She replied as they entered the elevator and headed to the private room where Sakura was staying. She was of the selective few that were allowed in this section of the hospital.

Tsunade pushed a door open and stepped aside to let them pass and look at her. Sakura was out cold with her skin and hair a pale and dead kind of color. She was connected to so many tubes, lines and drips. She had tube going into her nose and her mouth, needles inside of her wrists with so many beeping things around. She had things stuck in her chest and the sides of her temples. Almost all her flesh was occupied with something medical. Sakura practically looked on the verge of dead.

Tusande stood there and watched as Ino broke into tears at the sight of her. She covered her mouth and stared at the horrible state her best friend was in.

"She'll be fine Ino," Tsunade said.

"Do you really believe that?" Ino asked.

Tsunade said. "There's nothing else to believe. I'll leave you all to it, just keep it down." she said. "I'll send someone when it's time for you all to leave." She said looking at her watch and pulling out her pager that had started beeping.

Ino went to the side of the bed and took Sakura's hand which was connected to a drip which was clear. She held her hand as the tears tumbled down. Ino knew the truth, the truth was right there in front of her. Soon she wasn't going to have Sakura at all. The thought of losing her sometimes drove Ino onto the brink of insanity.

A warm hand touched her shoulder and Ino looked up to see Shikamaru looking down at her. He took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"Are you really going to take her Teme?" Naruto asked breaking the terrible silence.

Sasuke was silent for a moment before nodded. "I think it's the right thing to do isn't it?" he asked his best friend.

Naruto shifted. "It's only good if you want to work this all out, otherwise it's not going to make any sense to waste your time." he replied.

He nodded. "That's the same thing I thought." He replied looking at her body. "I think if I don't she's going to do die soon, my soul is probably more wear and tear on her body if I don't take care of it." he said.

He was done saving her then putting her back in the same situation that will end up needing his saving. He was willing to do anything that it would take to make sure that she never ended up like this in the hospital ever again. He was willing to do anything he had to in order to never see her this far gone.

Naruto was right, Sakura didn't know what she wanted because she was too busy trying to please everyone else. She was too busy caring what everyone else thought, too busy putting everyone else first and denying herself the things she really wanted. She wanted this thing that was between them and it was only the people around her making her reluctant to take it. He wanted to give her this. He wasn't going to stop trying no matter how much she frustrated him. She was afraid, all he had to do was show her that there was nothing to be afraid of.

She looked so close to drift into the worlds of spirit, disintegrate before him. She looked so sick, so drained it was almost unbearable to look at her.

Sasuke's eyes drifted to Tenten standing there, trying to be strong and not shed a tear. Sasuke nudged Neji in his side and he tilted his head over to her indicating for him to go over there. He shook his head and Sasuke managed a small smirk. He knew Neji had a slight thing for the girl even though she had a kid and all. Sasuke didn't particularly like her but she wasn't all that bad and Neji could use someone that wasn't a fangirl. Sasuke nudged his head in the direction of Tenten one last time, this time in a way of an order. Neji sighed and moved smoothly to stand next to her, his hands in his pockets.

Sasuke didn't ease drop on their conversation but instead turned to Naruto.

"I'm going to go." He said.

"What, why dude? She needs you."

"She doesn't need me and we have a concert tomorrow night and our last one two weeks from now and business to take care of." he said glancing at Sakura. "She'll be fine,"

"Don't tell me you're running," Naruto said his eyes narrowing.

"I can't look at something I am incapable of changing." He shrugged. "She won't die." He said and pushed his hands in his pockets. He headed for the door.

"Leaving Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked as Sasuke headed out.

"hn," was his only response as he went about his way.

_**So like, guys I just wanted to say that bullies like this really exist I know this might be a bit 'personal' here but all the illnesses that I've given to Sakura are illnesses that my best friend has. I just wanted you guys to know that there is a lot of truth to this story and I really appreciate you guys sticking with me this far with it. It means a whole lot to me, thank you very much and I hope together we all make it to the end **_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	23. Chapter 23

_So here we are again! Stuff have gotten really rough on me lately but I had a few spare hours and I just thought I'd put up this chapter. I'm having some editing issues right now, trying to decide if I should keep a chapter or scrap it and whatever. I hate not being certain of lots of things. I wanted to also say that I know some of you have questions, a lot of which I think I might answer but I encourage you to ask because they open up my mind to other perspectives. _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**[Chapter Twenty Three] **

"SHARINGAN! SHARINGAN! SHARINGAN!" the crowd boomed, their hands held high demanding more from them. The stadium couldn't take them, their shrieking and screaming and their constant movement.

Naruto grinned and with his forearm wiped the sweat from his face. His heart was racing and he wasn't going to lie, he'd been drumming for hours now, his fingers were feeling just a little bit of the effect. Shikamaru wrinkled his nose as he plucked, twisted and pounced things on the system he was working on, his laptop that was connect to both that and his electric piano on stage. Neji cracked his neck and smirked at Sasuke. This was insane. Kanoha had a _lot_ of people.

Neji watched as people fainted almost every second. Right now they had actually twenty ambulances outside the stadium to aid all those who were fainting. There were so many people trying to get on stage; to touch them.

Sasuke held the mike and took a soothing breath, ignoring the millions of screaming fans, the vibrating floor and everything around him. He let the music consume him and cover him. He listened as the music started, as his Knights started playing their instruments creating his favorite kind of art and then…then, he started singing.

_**I remembered black skies,  
>the lighting all around me.<br>I remembered each flash,  
>as time began to blurr.<br>Like a startling sign  
>that fate had finally found me,<br>and your voice was all I heard,  
>that I'd get what I deserve.<strong>_

His voice was so smooth, soothing and luring. It warped around time and space and had that feel that few voices had. Sasuke's voice was a true gift as hands held high in the air, moving to his voice. His onyx eyes pierced the crowd as all his guards went down. This was the only way he knew to unclothe his entire being for the whole world to see.

_**(Chorus)**_

_**There was no one in sight,**__**  
><strong>__**the memories left abandoned.**__**  
><strong>__**There was nowhere to hide,**__**  
><strong>__**the ashes fell like snow.**__**  
><strong>__**Then the ground caved in**__**  
><strong>__**between where we were standing,**__**  
><strong>__**and your voice was all I heard,**__**  
><strong>__**that I'd get what I deserve.**_

_**(Chorus)**_

_**With every loss  
>and every lie,<br>with every truth that you deny.  
>With each regret<br>and each goodbye,  
>was a mistake to great to hide,<br>and your voice was all I heard,  
>that I'd get what I deserve.<strong>_

(Chorus)

**New Divide**- Linkin Park who also doesn't exist in this story and so the song is 100% original.

That was the last song for the night, that was their last song for a little bit in terms of performances and appearances. Sasuke released to mike, took a bow, thanked the 250,000 fans for coming out like they had. Apart of him didn't want to walk off stage but, telling his fans goodnight he did.

When he reached back stage Tami was in front of him, she gripped his shirt and tugged him towards her as she pressed her lips smack on his. He kissed her back and she pulled away with a brilliant smile. She wiped the smudge of her lipstick from his perfect face and smacked her lips.

"You were amazing babe." She praised ignoring the noise all around them as she kissed him again. "Guess who's going to be getting is real good tonight," she slurred in his ears, "After the party that is." She giggled.

Sasuke smirked and turned when all his other band members arrived back stage. Naruto pulled his white V-neck T-shirt over his head and gave it carelessly to one of the stage people as the rushed passed him. The woman skidded to a halt, looked at the shirt in her hand then at Naruto. He smiled and winked; she flushed and spoke into the mike before bustling away like before. Sasuke watched him with a raised eyebrow. Naruto shrugged.

"What, she's hot." he defended wiping off his face, his muscles flexing so hotly, his abs tight and crunching.

Naruto was buff and all that Ramen and exercising sure as hell paid off with his hard core eight packs, tight and lean muscles. He touched the chain around his neck for a split second then kissed it like he did after every concert.

There was loud clapping and Kakashi could be seen moving in from the side towards them.

"Well I must say, it wasn't a shabby concert at all. Lovely turn out too, over two hundred people fainted, you all gave the ambulances a hectic night." he commented.

"That's it?" Shikamaru asked.

"That's it, you're vacation begins tomorrow at noon. I'd use it wisely if I were you. Don't forget the radio interview tomorrow at eight and the Tag magazine at eleven; the limo will be there for all of you at seven. We have papers to sign and contracts to look over before noon, so don't party too hard." He warned.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Tami laughed. "There is no such thing as partying too hard." She said.

Kakashi looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "I'm sorry, who's she?" he asked. "She's not the girl you've been telling me about, her hair isn't pink." He said.

Sasuke growled and glared at Kakashi. He could feel Kakashi's smile without even seeing it. He knew Kakashi had just said that on purpose.

Tami snatched her hand away from Sasuke like he had just burnt her. Naruto and Shikamaru started snicker among each other. Neji coughed loudly to prevent the laugh from escaping. Kakashi was an idle man.

"What!?" Tami shrieked. "You were planning on bring _her?_!" she screamed.

"No I wasn't." Sasuke said tightly.

Kakashi laughed. "Well I'm disappointed she couldn't make it, I was looking forward to meeting her after you told me how much she made you feel. Such a shame. However, it's a pleasure to meet you…?"

Sasuke clicked his tongue and tried not to say anything. He would let Kakashi have his fun, he could always get revenge.

"Tami," Naruto supplied with a laugh.

"Ah right, I can slightly recall hearing that name before." He said. "Well, you boys know the schedule; I've handled what I needed to. Have a grand time at wherever it is you all are planning to go. I must be off," he said turning with mischief and taking the hand of a random woman that was walking around screaming orders at people. She stopped to take a good look at him, she flushed, he said something and just like that she took off the head set and dropped the clip board walking away with him.

Naruto burst into laughter and high fived Neji enthusiastically. "Well played!" Naruto laughed.

"I have to give him credit for that one." Neji agreed smirking. "He did it smoothly."

Tami was steaming. "Tell me that was just a sick joke Sasuke." she said tears building in her eyes. "You weren't planning on really taking that whoring slut were you?" she demanded.

Sasuke tried very hard to stop himself from defending Sakura like he wanted to.

"No Tami I wasn't," he said, "don't annoy me,"

She smiled and wrapped her hand around his. "Good, I mean really, you can't take a whore like that anywhere and there is no way she has it as good as me Sasuke, no way." She boasted.

Naruto pretended to gag and Neji slapped him over the head.

"Dude!" Naruto objected.

"Hello boys!" Ino and Tenten said walking over to them.

"Whoa," Shikamaru and Neji said in unison their eyes raking over their sexy bodies.

Ino smiled when she caught him staring. She was in black ankle boots with diamond studs, fish net stockings, a neat short draped gray skirt and red tube top with a sweetheart neckline. Her hair was all out and flowed around her body and she was clutching a red purse, her left hand in open black gloves with her perfect manicured hands showing. She didn't really look like she was going to a concert but more like just the after party.

Tenten looked just as sexy but not in such a girly way as Ino. She was in a pair of Nike uppers, gray skinny jeans emphasizing her hips and a white V neck blouse with a short sky blue leather jacket. She had a chain wrapped around her waist and the blouse clung to her, the jeans amplifying her firm round ass and Neji had to give it to her, she was looking sexier than he had ever thought she could have.

Ino flipped her hair and waved her V.I.P ID. "You guys were even more amazing that I thought." She told him.

Tenten grinned. "I've never been to any of your concerts before and I have to hand to it you, y'all kicked ass." She said.

Shikamaru smirked. "I'm guessing you're hitting the party with us." He said.

"Only if you want me to," she said batting her eyelashes.

He nodded. "Definitely want you to." He agreed dropping his hands around her shoulder. "So, which party are we hitting tonight? I can't stay in this place any longer." He said.

Neji looked at his watch and glanced at Tenten. Damn she looked good. He could just eat her up. Literally. "Ever been to Drunk 69?" he asked her with a smirk.

Her eyes were challenging and sly. "I've heard of the club but I've never been there." she said taking his bait.

He smirked wider. "Well?"

"I'm a big girl Neji, I'm sure I can handle Drunk 69." She said.

"Well then, we'll just have to see then won't we?" he teased.

She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Then let's go," Sasuke said breaking away from Tami and her suffocating kisses.

She was obsessed with him and by god it was annoying. He let her however, arms and hold him up as they headed to the club where they ended up like always doing bottle service. The club was hot and popping, the music blearing, the alcohol potent in the air, the feel of sex and grind high.

Sasuke was sitting in a booth with Tami and almost a million other women with Shikamaru and Ino. Naruto was on the floor dancing with a red-headed fangirl and Neji had left with Tenten who didn't want to stay at the club too long because she would get too caught up in the drinking and she had a baby to take care of. Neji had decided to take her home but Sasuke wasn't stupid, Neji had left over an hour and a half ago. You do the math.

A lot of their friends had stopped by Drunk 69 to hang out with them and so they were all having a good time. The amount of alcohol they were pulling down was insane. Sasuke and was currently smoking. He preferred alcohol though, the taste and feel of it, the way it affected him. Sasuke didn't particularly like clubbing like this with Tami, she wasn't as fun in this kind of environment, she couldn't really handle it so well since it was so careless and hardcore.

Sasuke smirked and grabbed the needle from his friend Ruki before he could inject the methane in the wrong vein. Sasuke rolled his eyes, flicked his friend's wrist and with ease injected the drug inside of him. Ruki made a gagging face and slapped Sasuke's hand away like he knew what he had been doing. Sasuke shook his head and downed an entire bottle of Vodka Cranberry. A fangirl that looked like she knew a few tricks or two grabbed Sasuke's crotch when Tami wasn't looking.

Sasuke looked at her and smirked. She leaned into his ears. "Very nice." She purred.

"Don't start what you can't finish." Sasuke threatened, releasing a puff of smoke to the side as the waitresses came in looking almost naked with more alcohol.

"Oh I can finish, that is if you'll let me." she cooed. "You're girlfriend doesn't have to know."

Sasuke puffed and passed what he was smoking to Shinji another friend of his and stood, waving off Tami's whining voice. He looked at the girl and sized her up. She was alright with long lean tanned legs, an average bust for her small frame and hips and a waste to kill. Her hair was long and black, her skirt short and perfect. He headed from the booth, wading through the people and like he knew she would, she followed him happily.

The club was named Drunk 69 for a very good reason and it knew well how to accommodate the needs to hard partiers, high hormones and lust very well. Sasuke headed down the stairs to the lower part of the club that was specifically for sex. On his way down he grabbed the arm of a big bust red head who was making out with another girl. She jumped and looked at him, her eyes growing wide as his status sank in. He smirked.

"Would you care to join us?" he asked smoothly indicating to the fan girl he was bringing down with him.

She looked over at her then back at him and smiled. "With you? Really?" she almost squealed over the loud music. He nodded and she glanced at the girl she was making out with. "Go back to Keko." She told her and held on to Sasuke and started heading down stairs.

Far too easy. Fame was a delicious thing when it came to tasks like these. It required very little effort, very little words and very little gestures to get the best. He watched her ass as the red-head walked in front of him, her short pleated skirt hardly covering all of her big round ass. When she moved a certain way he could see the white thong that she had on. He looked at the black haired girl as she walked hotly beside him. Two he was going with tonight. He had to be done by six though and that left only four hours, he had to make the best of it with women like this.

Downstairs there were no cameras or any other form of surveillance device looking at drunk and tipsy people getting freaky. They headed to a booth that was empty and the redhead drew the curtain and flipped the light that signaled that the booth was occupied. Sasuke stood and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing rock hard abs and back tattoos to kill. The black haired girl was already on her knees in front of him losing his buckle. Oh she was serious on this shit. He smirked in amusement. He liked clubbing he wasn't going to lie and boy he loved women and how they loved his body enough to give up themselves to him with just one look. Sasuke took a seat and signaled the red head to have a seat beside him. He bit her lips and pulled it painfully between his teeth. This was going to be another one of those satisfying nights.

_**So I decided to end the chapter there, I'm not ready for lemons but so you all know, they are coming so be prepared. Well guys just have a blessed month, if you're going through a rough time, know you're strong enough to get through it. Bad times don't last forever **_

_**Choosing happiness and so should you,**_

_**D.V **_


	24. Chapter 24

_Wow it's been a while huh? Honestly guys, I'm so SORRY about that but I PROMISE –I don't know how but I do- that updates will be more frequent. So in the next week to get this story on the road, just expect two more updates. That's a promise. Two updates coming in one week. I swear, y'all can hold me to it :D _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Twenty Four]**

Sakura had been _awake_ in the hospital for now three days. She had damaged her larynx which was preventing her from talking at all. Tsunade told her that in a few days, with the help of the medication, her voice would be as good as new. Sakura had nothing to do while she was awake in the hospital. She couldn't go anywhere, she couldn't talk, all she could do was just lie there until being awake tired her out and she drifted off again to sleep. It wasn't the least bit entertaining. She sighed or at least, it felt to her like that's what she did. She wished things hadn't turned out this bad. Tsunade was furious, not at her but at the situation and that was making Sakura feel a way. This could have been prevented or at least, it didn't have to end up this way. There were better out comes to it besides this, she knew that. She was just so stubborn sometimes.

She looked around the white room, the flowers that decorated it, the bright sun that came in and the small television that was hiked up on the wall showing her the news. She shifted and a suffocating pain shot up her leg. She gripped the sheets from the immense pain that swallowed up her entire body. She couldn't remember much and so she only knew what others had told her. Tsunade had said that she had dislocated her knee and it was just a blurry memory as to how it happened in the first place. She remembered someone shouting at her -but she couldn't remember the face or place- and something hit her, something had hit her hard and she fell to the floor. There was more, she knew it but she couldn't remember.

_Just take it easy Sakura, let's not stress out. _Her inner said.

Sakura cast her eyes down and stayed that way. She was in pain everywhere and each breath she took miraculously caused a sharp pain somewhere. Tsunade had taken her off the breathing monitor some days before and with the way her asthma was getting lately, without the monitor, it was a pain in the ass. She felt weighted down, swollen and diced up everywhere. Her skin burnt, her insides felt hot and the bandages on her itched. She wished she could hum or something to keep herself entertained but she was incapable of making a sound and any movement she made seemed to be a painful one. Her mind could only be so creative.

Sakura turned her head to look at the notepad and pen neatly set on the small white table beside her. She smiled, it was wide and bright. The nurses told her that since she was brought here Sasuke hadn't stopped by even once to see her but the bouquet of Tuscany Superbs and velvet orchids told her otherwise. There were deep red ones and dark purple ones. Where in the world did he get them form? She couldn't help but wonder.

As she was dozing off into a world of rest and healing her door creaked open.

"Just have a seat inside. Sakura, honey, are you awake?" Tsunade asked stepping in followed by a cranberry red haired girl with the most amazing gray eyes.

Sakura smiled and nodded. She could stay awake a while longer if she had something to do or someone to talk to but because it was just her alone, she could fall asleep any second.

"Good. Sakura, this is Clare; Clare, this is Sakura. Sakura she'll be sitting in here for a little while until I work some things out. She told me she didn't want to sit in the waiting area and would rather be in a room with a patient and I thought you could use some company. Clare, her voice is gone at the moment, but a notepad is right there so I'm sure you two can work something out." Tsunade said.

Clare nodded. "Thanks." She said with a wide smile.

Tsunade nodded. "I'll be back as soon as possible but bear in mind I might take a while." she said fishing out her beeping pager and her ringing phone. She headed out the door as she answered the phone and closed it.

Silence befell them in the room and Sakura looked at her with her own emerald eyes. Clare was one of the most beautiful girls she had ever seen. Her gray eyes were stunning, her smooth jaw, rich thick skin, nice healthy build with a smile out shining the morning sun. Clare had on a white tam, a white blouse with a gray cardigan and black skinny jeans with a pair of cute slippers.

Clare took a deep breath and took a seat in the chair close to Sakura's bed. She looked around and pulled the earphone in her left ear out and stuffed her IPod into her bag. She rubbed her hands together and looked around the room, taking in all the flowers. Sakura understood if Clare didn't know what to say even if she could talk, she wouldn't know what to say either.

"So, Tsunade was just telling me how sick you are." She said with a small smile.

Sakura nodded avoiding eye contact.

She looked down. "She told me that you practically live around here with how often someone has to rush you in. Boy, I sure know how that feels. I just came out of the hospital after three weeks. I just moved and I'm just, getting myself accustomed to here and everything." She mumbled then looked up with a bright smile. "So, I'm trying to make friends with the 'frequent-ers' as I like to call them so I can have friends when I come around. I hope you're not too shy."

Sakura made a small smile and carefully took up the notepad and pen. She scribbled as best as she could with the irritating needle in the back of her hand. Her writing wasn't pretty to even begin with. She held up the note pad.

**Are you a frequent-er? **

Clare laughed, her eyes twinkling and smiled. "Yeah, I am." She said.

**What's wrong with you? **

"Ah lots of things but I could just show you." she said taking off her tam and pulling off the bright red hair that was apparently a wig to reveal her own head that had no hair. "Cancer." She says proudly.

**I'm so sorry. **

Clare shrugged. "Don't be, people have to suffer right or humanity will never appreciate what it's been given. Besides, you're just as sick I believe. We're kind of in the same boat except I'm just the one without hair." she said laughing.

Sakura smiled and glanced down. There were so many strong people out there sometimes she wondered why she was one of the few not like them. Since she'd been in the hospital and awake, she'd been thinking a whole lot of things. Wondering why she just hadn't come out like everyone else had who were situations like her.

**So, welcome to Konohagahure Hospital. **

"It's a pleasure if I must say so myself." She said with a wide smile. "Sorry about your voice, that must suck. You're quite pretty too, really pretty actually and that hair, trust me, it's working for you even though it could use a flat iron." She laughed putting on back her wig and tam. "And, if it matters, I've moved from my beloved town Iwa. Moved here with my mom Tanalataru and my partner Doshite," She said.

**Sakura Haruno. I just moved here too and it's so nice to meet you. My old town was very close to Iwa, I went there once when I was nine with my mother and my father but I don't remember much. I do remember it was really beautiful. **

"Yeah it was, that's the truth." She said leaning back in the chair. "So Sakura, how'd that knee get displaced? Do you run or anything?"

**No, I don't do many sports. I fell and it just got messed up. **

Clare drew in a painful breath as if she was putting herself in the same position. "That has got to have hurt a ton, I'm so sorry. I've never dislocated, fractured or broken anything before, unless you count a pinky finger which I don't since it was the left one which isn't as important as the right."

Sakura laughed or at least tried to. It was nice to finally have someone to keep her company and Clare was really nice. She was like a color suddenly, Sakura needed the company.

As they talked there was just something about Clare, something she couldn't put her finger on that made her feel… right? There was something about here that made Sakura feel like it was alright to frown and alright to say what's been happening to her because she could understand.

She listened as Clare told her about the first time she had to do Chemotherapy and how dreadfully scared she was with the whole idea. The thought of losing her hair, her eye brows and all that had her crying for months on end but she got used to all of it. Clare told her how hard it was for her to go to school with how sick she had become, fainting days on end, weak and struggling. There was power coming from her, the kind of power Sakura wished she had. There was pride coming from her. Pride in who she was, what she has and will go through and with everything in between. Sakura didn't know why Tsunade was taking so long to come back but she didn't mind, she didn't want Clare to leave.

**Guess it's just hard sometimes. **Sakura shrugged.

"It gets better."

**Does it? **

"Honestly, I don't really know but you just have to believe that because if you don't you'll end up giving up. Sakura, we've come way too far in this whole thing to give up. I mean, if we didn't have hope, I don't know where most of us who suffer from all these illnesses would be. People tend to hate what they can't understand that's why some people hate you and me. They hate that the people they want to show them attention is giving it to us instead because we're ill. It's just human nature as sad to say as it is and people are just like that.

"The ones who hate us with the cold hearts and think we're attention whores don't know that with cancer or our illnesses you can't _decide_ when you're sick and when you're not. You can't just take an Advil and feel better. I still went to school because I didn't want that to stop me from living my life and a lot of those people who troubled me and bullied me and sent me into depression will never know how much of a sacrifice and how hard of a decision that was for me. I know I'm not the only one because you're making exactly the same decision that I did." She said.

**Everyone goes through things that they will never talk about, that's how we come out the way we are. No two people come out the same situation the same. We don't have all the opportunities that they do; everything gets worse when everyone is against you. **

Clare smiled. "Some things people can never understand unless they experience it. However, you have some people Sakura, I'm not going to lie, you have people who just know what people like us go through and can understand how hard it is for us without even having been sick a day in their lives." Clare said surely, holding out her left hand with the beautiful ring on her finger. Sakura smiled. She was married. "He's as healthy as a horse, never been sick a day in his life and I don't know where I'd be without him. I'm only nineteen but it's not like I might make it to 20 so why not get married now and be happy? People will hate us and people will love us. Everyone has to deal that, some more than others."

**I've been thinking about quitting school and doing everything Tsunade has been telling me to do. Probably just stay here since that's what's best for me. These girls, they don't like me, I consistently cause problems and this boy, he doesn't make anything any easier, they just hate me more and I don't…I don't know what to do.**

"Don't quit school Sakura, please don't." Clare said. "I say, to hell with those girls. I'm sure if that boy was interested in them, he would be trying to get their attention and not yours. I say, give him a chance I think he's trying hard for it and I mean, what have you got to lose? Sakura, our hour glass has less grains of sand than the rest, we don't have the privilege of saying 'oh maybe in a few years' when we might not even make it. If he likes you as much as I can see you like him –which I think he does- I'm sure it's all worth it. Sometimes you have to disregard everyone else and what they think, some things are just too complicated for outsiders."

**You can't possibly know that he likes me at all, not if I haven't told you so.**

"See, that's where you're wrong. When I was in the hospital, Doshite brought me this large bouquet of roses and made sure his was the one on the night table and the most extravagant one there. I bet you that the bouquet of exotic flowers are your favorite and came from your mystery man, whoever he may be."

Sakura smiled. Clare was right. The truth was, Sakura didn't know what to do about anything at all in her life anymore. Maybe she was stupid to have thought coming here, to a new place would give her a new start but it just felt like it was the repeat of the same old thing.

She hardly had any friends, almost the whole school hated her, her deranged cousin tried to kill her if that wasn't on point and then all this supernatural, unreal things in the middle. It was becoming too much for her, too overwhelming and she couldn't take the hurt all of this was causing her. She was interfering with people's lives and every sole person hated her guts, they hated her like everyone else. It was strenuous to just get through one day of school lately. Maybe it was really time to stop going, to stop inconveniencing others like she always did.

"You know Sakura, you're pretty amazing. I guess Tsunade did pick the right room." She smiled.

Sakura flushed. **Hardly. You're the amazing one, being so strong about everything around you. **

"Girl, you're strong too. I mean look at you, you've been here for weeks and since we've been talking you haven't complained about anything at all. Not your knee, the pain you're in, you showed not even a hint of hating the stupid chicks who did this to you. Trust me, you're something else because if it was me, I would hate their guts right now for putting me in here and screwing my already jacked up body up. Are you crazy? The first thing on my list when I left would be to kick their asses like you wouldn't believe." she said.

**It's not their fault; I was in the way remember?**

Clare rolled her eyes. "It was totally their fault; they hit you on purpose because they don't like you. Sakura, don't be blind to what's around you. They might have honestly been fighting but they wanted to hit you for a damn long time because if they hadn't, I'm sure they would have hit other people too. Please, they knew what they were doing." She said.

**I don't have any reason to be mad at them, it's already said and done and that doesn't make me amazing or anything. I haven't impacted anyone like you have or made a difference. **

"Sakura, I think you've done far more than I have. I mean, I stopped going to school in the ninth grade because I couldn't take all the bullying and started going to a school with other people like me but you, you're still going to school right now even after all this. That takes some balls and you know it. I copped out but you haven't and I don't think you should, you're way stronger than they know." she said matter-of-factly. "You can't let those bitches win."

Sakura smiled widely. Clare sure knew how to give a prep talk. To Sakura, this was a double edge sword she was playing with, the only thing was that one edge was duller than the other. One stab wound would hurt much less. However, she didn't know which end it was and she had to pick one. She was really thinking about leaving school for good now and abandoning her dream of becoming a doctor because in truth, she didn't think she would make it that far.

However, on the other hand, she'd made it here and come this far and just came to this new school to what? Just leave like that because of a few bad incidents and haters? At her old school everyone hated her too but she didn't leave. She shouldn't leave now either, she wasn't the strongest girl but she wanted to make it as far as she could go.

Everything was just so complicated; with the dreams and Sasuke and school and all these things happening with her and; all the people out to get her. She didn't know how to approach anything anymore or how to work with it or where to move on from where she was. She was stuck and the terrible thing was that she didn't even know where.

Sasuke was a whole category of complicated all by himself. She was trying to do the right thing by staying away from him but then that turned out to be the wrong thing. Then when she decided to stop avoiding him because it was wearing thin on both of them he just upped and suddenly felt nothing and …avoided her. She couldn't blame him, she had asked for that since the beginning but she didn't think it would have hurt as much as it did when he actually started to ignore her.

There was a knock on the door and Tsunade came in and smiled. "Sorry I took so long," she said looking at her beeping pager. "Things are just so hectic around here,"

"No worries Miss Senju, Sakura makes good company." She said.

"Well I'm glad she had someone to talk to. Sakura, remember you're leaving the hospital tomorrow and I should have told you this before but I had to make sure about it all. Sasuke will be here to pick you up; you're staying under his care until Rin says otherwise." She said hissing her teeth and picking up her ringing phone. She held up a finger, "just give me a minute." She said walking out the door to talk on the phone.

Sakura felt her heart wrench somewhere deep inside of her. What? There was no way she was going to stay with Sasuke; Tsunade was out of her mind. She was dreadfully tired even though she'd only been awake for almost two and a half hours. Sasuke wouldn't….he wouldn't. He had other things to do; he wouldn't just randomly decide to take care of her. Not after what happened between them, she was sure he'd scrap this whole thing and give up on her and her childlike 'games'. He wouldn't.

Tsunade poked her head in. "Alright Clare, let's get going because now I'm in a hurry. Sakura, don't worry I'll have Ming come on and check you in ten minutes. You must be tired so it's best to just go to bed now and rest up alright?"

Sakura nodded and did a wide smile and a thumb up. She wanted Tsunade to know that she was fine even if she really wasn't. How would she act around Sasuke? He was probably mad at her… she couldn't just stay with him. What was Tsunade thinking?

_**So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I Also hope you guys are ready for the next two chapters coming over the course of this week and I also hope (yes I know I said I was done begging for reviews and no I am not begging, I'm just HOPING) that you guys like this and the next two chapters to come enough to leave reviews. I hope you guys don't hate this.**_

_**PS: I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR REVIEWING! I try to reply to reviews but i'm just so busy but i want to thank you. Yes you, reading this right now, your support means the world to me. 3**_

_**Loving you all with all my heart,**_

_**D.V**_


	25. Chapter 25

_Alright, well I know how to keep a promise now don't I? I think I do. Here is the first chapter of the two promised this week. I hope you guys like it, you know with SasuSaku all up in this, know what I mean? *wink* I just wanted to say that a whole lot of things that you guys thing I don't have reasons for, just to let you know, I do. A lot of things that you don't like about characters etc all have explanations and purposes… I think *laughs idly* Well I think I should stop rambling and let you guys get on with the story._

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Twenty Five]**

Sasuke yawned and dragged his hand over his face. He sighed warily and signed the paper in front of him once again. Every time he signed a paper another one magically appeared in front of him. This was starting to get to him.

"Is that it?" Sasuke asked annoyed.

Currently it was noon and the band along with Kakashi was sitting around a round table in the Music House talking about contracts, schedules, plans etc. Sasuke was tired as fuck. He'd had two threesomes all with different women and hadn't left the club until it was time for the radio interview where he had to hurry to take a shower, get dressed and get there. He needed to take a nap; he hadn't slept _at all_ in about three weeks. Sure he was a demon but he too needed rest. However, with everything going on it just continuously evaded him, as if sleep hated him or something.

Naruto yawned. "This is really boring, can we just stop here?" he asked. "I have a life I want to continue living." He groaned.

"That's it," Kakashi said taking up all the papers and stuffing them into a brief case. "I'm done with you losers for now; it's about time I get some time to myself."

"You're acting like you're a well functioning manager to begin with." Shikamaru retorted. "We're glad to get rid of you too."

"Don't be smart," Kakashi smirked taking out his Itcha Itcha paradise book and flipping it open. "I'm smarter than you might think; bad things might happen to you Nara." He warned.

Naruto did a loud nasty yawn again. "Teme, when are you going to pick up Sakura-Chan?" he asked.

Sasuke looked at his watch and sighed. "In about ten minutes." He shrugged.

"Dude are you sure you want to do this?" Shikamaru asked. "I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just wondering if this is the right time to try and connect with her."

"It's as good a time as it's going to get. I'm sure I can take care of her."

"I never said you couldn't." Shikamaru said. "I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into."

"Alright, what haven't you told me?" Sasuke demanded warily.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "The information I have right now is _really all over the place_, I shouldn't be speaking about it least you take it all the wrong way or it's inaccurate."

"Tell me anyways."

He scratched his head and yawned. "Well, I've been doing the whole 'sieving for information' and I went to see a Seer again, like you had asked a few days after Tsunade had spoken to us about Sakura's conditions." He began.

Naruto sighed. "I still can't believe she's that sick." He said. "Teme, not to sound like an ass but if you don't protect her with all you have, with that soul inside of her she's not going to make it."

"I know that." Sasuke quipped.

"Like I was saying." Shikamaru said. "We've established that Sakura is different but Sasuke something is _wrong _with her and I mean very, very _wrong_. She's outside of Nature wrong." He said seriously.

"Like what?"

"That's the thing, we're not sure. I left the Seer giving her sometime to do her 'Seer thing', congregate with others on this after our blood oath to secrecy. What she told me is that in her body Sakura is not alone, as if she's split into multiple people or something. Her mind is as weak as a feather just like her body and it's not because of illness. Her mental view, her perspective is not technically the side-effect of her variety of illnesses. Her selflessness, it is who she is but it's as if, that's the part of her mind she got stuck with and the 'other beings' inside of her got other sections. Am I even making any sense to you? What Antabela ( the Seer) saw was…"

"Talk would you Nara." Neji said. "I'm actually hungry."

"Sakura's body dead." He said simply.

Silence stretched across the room and Sasuke leaned back. "What?" he asked in a haze.

That was absolutely, completely, without a doubt _**impossible**_. There was no way in hell or high waters that could ever happen. Not under Sasuke's watch. Impossible. Wasn't it? Wasn't he enough to keep her alive?

Shikamaru nodded. "That's what she saw. She was dead but at the same time she _wasn't _dead. Her body was possessed by another being. Look I'm telling you, the information is all over the damn place. The Seer and Antayia haven't figured out anything yet. Everything I'm telling you right now might not even be 100% accurate."

Sasuke stood and ran his fingers through his hair. "I agree with you. I don't particularly think anything related on that topic, I should hear that isn't 100%." He said simply ending the topic.

"I guess we're on our own for at least an entire week?" Naruto asked.

"I'm surprised you know what's up." Sasuke said.

"You're such a smartass." Neji said rolling his white eyes. "That means it's you and her alone?"

Sasuke nodded. "Just me and her." he agreed casting a long glance at Shikamaru. "I'm trusting you with all this if it's not too much."

Shikamaru shook his head. "It never is." He confirmed.

Sakura had been in a coma for five days and woke up two days before his concert. He had been far too busy to go to her when she was awake least she needed to talk –which he didn't have time for really- but Tsunade had called him in this morning to see if he was serious on taking care of Sakura. He'd had Krystal do a little magic for him and had Rin consent to having Sakura stay with him for as long as he deemed worthy. It had taken some words and vows but Tsunade finally agreed to it. He was on break and couldn't think of a better way to spend his time than with Sakura. This was going to work. There was nothing more to it than making it work. He was done playing around and being one thing this minute then another thing the next.

"What are you going to do?" he asked them.

"I'm planning to have sex with my piano for at least ten hours." Shikamaru said with a smirk.

"I've got a date with my cello until five and then make up sex with my flute." Neji said. "We've missed each other and probably a date with Tenten somewhere after that, if she finally decides to answer my calls."

"She's been avoiding you like a plague. Why?" Shikamaru asked.

"If she'd answer her phone I'm sure I'd be able to tell you." he murmured.

"And you Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"Ramen." Naruto said simply. "That's all I need, my guitar and drums and I'm set. I'm too beat to do anything else but relax."

Sasuke nodded. "When I walk out of here I am out of service, _don't _bother me." he warned.

"Don't worry Teme, we got this." Naruto grinned.

"Or so you say until the Pentitantum comes knocking on your front door for that girl." Kakashi said easily. "You all talk so openly as if walls don't have ears."

"Are you going to talk?"

"Why of course not, you're all sadly my sons." He mused reading. "I'm just saying Sasuke, be careful with her, you're going to have one eventful week." He warned wisely.

Sasuke nodded before leaving. He went into white Ferrari California. He started the engine and backed out of the Music House driveway and in the direction of the hospital. The Music House was where they all did all their media and music associated things. They each had their own room with all the specific instruments where specialized in and three recording studios in there. Since they made tons of music that they wouldn't plan to publish to media but have for personal purpose, each of them having their own rooms and things proved to be very convenient. He made mental note to bring Sakura there one day if things went well.

He'd had this harmonic melody in his head since the day he was at the hospital in the waiting room. It was the first he'd heard a melody, a rhythm in his head and couldn't find out how to bring it into reality and make it into an actual sound. The beat, the soothing way of it wouldn't come out of his head. He wanted to figure out how to bring it to life, to the world and probably to her sometime soon.

He listened to the last set of piano work Shikamaru had done as he made his way to the hospital. He hoped she received this thing well, he was trying this again. He wasn't giving up and he hoped when he picked her up she'd realize that.

When he arrived there he came out and locked his car, his keys dangling in his hand. He looked around and sighed mentally when jaws dropped, eyes filled with hearts and people paused. Hadn't they ever seen a famous person? He'd been here so many times since school started he was sure they'd all seen him before. He rolled his eyes and headed to the entrance. On his way inside a teenage girl practically bounced in front of him. He backed up before she butt heads with him and looked at her frankly.

"You're Sasuke-kun!" she panicked.

"Yeah I am." He replied simply looking at his watch.

He had this policy of not denying fans or turning them down for pictures, autographs etc especially little kids and teens –older women were a different story- but he was in a hurry and he wasn't in the mood.

"Can I have your autograph?" she asked her eyes exploding. "Everyone else is afraid to come up to you so I want one for all the other girls outside."

Sasuke turned to look outside at the large group of women that seemed to come out of nowhere, hearts in their eyes and drooling over him. He shrugged.

"Pen?" he asked blandly.

She popped one out and pointed at her left breast. "Right here." she said batting her eyelashes.

Sasuke signed his name on her breast and gave her the pen.

"Can you give it kiss, for good luck?!" she asked, breathing heavily. She looked like she was about to start crying hysterically.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. He sighed and gave the top of her breast that he'd signed a peck of the lips and headed to the front desk. He tried his best to ignore the fact that today the hospital seemed to be filled with teenage girls and slutty adults who kept winking at him. The receptionist flushed.

"Again," she said batting her eyelashes, "you've been here quite a lot lately Sasuke-kun." She giggled.

"Could you just tell me where Haruno Sakura is and tell Tsunade that I'm here?" he asked coldly.

"Sure thing," she said sweetly, "she's in room 410, sixth floor. You know," she began picking up one of the many phones around her to make an important call, "I get off at eight."

"Good for you." Sasuke grunted leaving the desk and heading towards the elevator.

He went to Sakura's room first and stood outside the door looking in at her. She was connected to a fair amount of drips and watching the small television they had placed in the room. She was crying, tears running down her cheeks and dripping onto her clothes. She was trying to ignore them he could tell. He'd never comforted before and he wasn't sure he was that good at it and the last thing he wanted to do was make it worse. He tried to respect her privacy in all ways that he could and tried not to invade her emotions just so he could understand what she was feeling. He watched her until he couldn't anymore because her tears kept coming harder and looked about the hall.

Nurses were rushing and strutting passed him, glancing at him every second, flushing and turning pink, batting their eye lashes and swaying their assets his way. If Sasuke could vomit at the sight of all of them trying so hard, he would have. He heard Tsunade's distinct footsteps and turned to face her. She signaled him to follow her and he glanced at Sakura one last time before heading down the hall with her, his hands in his pockets leisurely.

When they were securely in the office Tsunade sat down and started taking out a whole lot of bottled and bag pills, liquid prescription etc and grouping them. Sasuke stood in front of her and waited.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" She asked distant, still focused on what she was doing.

"I'm sure I can take care of her." Sasuke assured her emptily.

She grunted and leaned back. "Sasuke, I've told you how sick she is. It's going to take such a long time for her to recover from this as it is, if you're not dedicated to the task at hand I'll find some other way to see to it that she's taken care of."

"I can do it," he said getting a tad annoyed with the woman.

She sighed and nodded. "You have school in the days and I'm sure you have interviews, records and the like. Enlighten me as to how you're going to-"

"I have nothing of the sort to do." he said. "I'm fine without school as those who are fine with it. I will be home with her at all times." he said.

She shook her head. "I can see how reckless this is, I cannot believe Rin has agreed to this and saw this as a better option." She took a deep breath. "Alright, this is the medication Sakura needs to take daily. This first group right here she needs to take these all when she wakes up. This is before she eats. She's allowed to eat then an hour or two after she takes these. Directly before and after each main meal she needs to take these. These are her night pills which are important. This," she took up something that looked like trees, "is done like tea, you need to put it hot water and draw it out. She's not going to want to drink this because it tastes horrible, burns and is going to make her cough up blood couple of times but you're going to have to make her. It makes things worse before it makes things better so be prepared for her vomiting and spewing blood. She needs to drink this, it's important." She said.

Sasuke nodded.

"Did you get all of that?" Tsunade asked. "Do you need me to write it down or go over it again?"

Sasuke nodded his head minutely. Tsunade nodded.

"Alright, since you have that down, moving on. These right here are all her vitamin and mineral pills. She has her iron and her calcium which is needed; she can take these when she's taking the set of pills for after meals. This ointment is just for her throat, you need to rub this on it because it's pretty sore and scarred on the inside, it's going to be a couple days before she can talk well." Tsunade said. "She's supposed to stay off that foot of hers because it's going to need some time to heal. She's not in as much pain as she would have been in if she was awake during the first week but she's still in a lot of pain. In each batch I've already put pills to help everything else inside each specified batch I have here." she said. "Did you get that as well?"

He nodded.

"If anything goes wrong, anything at all you need to call me. If you see her worsen in any way at all that are not 'normal' or appear to be getting sick in a different kind of way than she already is or anything out of the norm you must call me. We need her body focused on getting better. I hope no one that is sick is at your house."

"No," he said.

She nodded. "This other ointment is for her knees, you can just put this on it when it hurts more than usual. Since she's been here long enough to start the healing process and get pretty far, protocol doesn't allow me to cast it but know the drill. I wrapped it with what was required; it's very easy and simple so you can do it too. Questions?"

"What of her eating habits?" he asked.

She smiled, impressed. He smirked mentally and rolled his eyes. So that was a test was it?

"Getting her to eat in general is going to be a problem. She has an issue with holding food down or even eating when she's hungry. She needs a lot of fruits and vegetables and she'll eat those but things such as rice or chicken or even fish, you're going to have to fight with her but you need to make sure she eats three meals a day. The list goes on I'm afraid but if you stick to the basics and what's on this paper I have here, things should be fine." She assured him. "She needs lots of rest but I'm sure you're no fool and you're well aware of that as well as many other things. Alright, now since that's all out of the way and you remember all I just told you then I'm sure you can take her home with you." she conceded.

She took all the pills and put them each in labeled zip locked bags before putting them all the zip lock bags into a big bag. She rose and handed it to him. He took it simply and looked at her, waiting for her to do what she needed to do so he could go. He didn't particularly like hospitals for the scent of death lingered behind all the sprays and detergents and cleaning aids. No matter how hard they scrubbed, the smell of death wouldn't leave a place like this.

They left the office and headed back to Sakura's room. Tsunade pushed the door open and Sakura instantly covered her face.

"Sakura, I already talked to you about this and told you that Sasuke was going to be the one to take care of you. Are you ready to go?" she asked softly, her hands stuffed in her white coat pocket.

Sakura looked at Sasuke and forced a smile. He felt some part of him inside wither from her lies. She nodded and Tsunade sighed. "Alright, Sasuke why don't you wait out front for her, we'll have her out in a bit." Tsunade said.

He nodded and he walked through the doors and headed to the parking lot.

He went back into the parking lot and drove around to the front of the hospital, ignoring all the eyes on his car. Thank the lord for tinted windows. When Sakura was wheeled through the front door, he went and put her in the car, put her bag of meds on the back seat, rolled up the windows and headed on his way to his second house.

He glanced at her for a while and she was looking through the window almost hollow like. He looked at her in the baggy jeans and at her knee. He wondered if Krystal could help her with that. He'd have to see when he went home. The car was silent and he couldn't help the unease.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded sadly, her eyes casted down. He didn't say anything for he didn't know what to say and turned on a dirt road and headed down after a painfully long time driving in silence. He drove for a few minutes until the road began to pave out and the gates were already open. He drove in and around the fountain of Asanephpa and parked in front.

This was _his _house. When he came here he was off limits. No one came here but him and occasionally his brother when he called him but that was it. He didn't bring his girls here, didn't let them sleep here, they didn't even know about this place. Only his maid –Minie- came here. She looked at him curiously and he shrugged. He turned off the engine, came out of the car and opened her side of the car. He slipped his hand around her and under her thighs, making sure to watch her knee and scooped her out of the car. She winced and he bit the insides of his jaw. He didn't want to hurt her but she had to get in. This house was two stories, open and beautiful.

He took her inside. He slipped her into the bed under the sheets carefully on the first floor. Her body was so light and fragile. He felt like the wind could break her in half. She looked around, uneasy he could tell. He knew she couldn't really talk because of everything but he just wished he knew what was going through her mind. This was going to be harder than he thought. The air was too foreign and awkward between them.

He knew that the last time they consciously parted it really wasn't on good terms. With the both of them being immature. With her avoiding him and then he avoiding her, simply because they kept misunderstanding each other. They didn't establish any grounds with whatever relationship they had.

She opened her mouth and started to speak but realized that there was no sound coming out. She slumped and leaned back, looking down at her lap. Sasuke rummaged through his room until he found a fountain pen and a note pad. He handed it to her and sat down beside her on the bed. She tapped the pen on the note pad for a second, as if debating on what to write. She sniffed silently and wiped tears away from her eyes before they could fall. He watched her as she started to scribble.

_Why are you doing this? You don't need to take care of me. After everything that happen, I know you don't want to._

"Alright, just for the sake of clearing this to ensure that we need not speak of it again let me tell you something and never forget it. This is free will and whatever I do from this point onwards is solely because I want to." He replied.

_I don't want to burden you Sasuke. You've done so much for me already._

"Come on Sakura, I really don't want to have go over this entire thing again with you." He told her. "Stop, just stop that it's getting really annoying." he mumbled lying down on the bed the wrong way so his head was next to her thighs and his feet propped on the wall above the head board.

She looked into his face and he held her gaze effortlessly. Her eyes were hollow and deeply sad. He looked away and glanced at the clock. Maybe he should leave her to go to bed or something. He wasn't really sure what else to do. Tsunade had told him that she had already eaten and knowing her, more than likely she wasn't hungry. She couldn't walk and she couldn't talk and she was tired. It was best if he did leave her alone and sort a few things out.

He watched her hand as it smoothed across the notepad and she held it up.

_What does this mean then? Are we back to square one? _

He smirked. Square one; he'd never thought of it like that. "No, we're not back at square one. We're just going to cooperate and stop trying to deny this whole thing. Sakura, you just have to understand that you can't be in this alone and vice versa. This is a 'me and you' kind of thing, so nothing's going to change until you just accept that and stop beating yourself up about it."

_I understand that._

"Do you? Because lately you've been riveting all on your own without any clue as to what's going on and you've been trying to put a stop to something you have absolutely no control over. I can't keep trying so hard over and over again, this is already hard for me."

_I know that, I'm so sorry._

"No need to apologize, it's not as if I'm incapable of understanding." He reasoned.

_I don't know what to do. I don't know what's real from what's not anymore._

"I'm here to help with that too." He said. "You need me, no questions asked about that and believe it or not, I need you just the same. This just won't work unless you want it to."

_I do want this to work; I just don't know what you want me to do. I don't know how to react to any of this and I don't want to do it wrong. I can't handle so many things at once._

"You don't have to do anything except stick around and cooperate. There is no right or wrong in this Sakura, I've told you that before." He said. "There is no set thing that you need to do, stop thinking so hard."

_But you were going to make this 'change' before and you never did. _

He glared at her for a second. "Sakura I've _tried._" He said. "I _have been _trying this whole time and then everything just went down the damn drain." He said truthfully.

She looked down and wiped her eyes again. He rolled his eyes at her, he knew the truth hurt but she had to hear it. He had tried, she was the one who hadn't made it work simply because she didn't want it to.

_Alright, I'll cooperate I promise. _

"And I'll hold you to that." he said. "Also, if it matters, your writing is terrible." He commented looking at it.

She smiled and laughed, a raspy strained sound; dusty.

_It's the penmanship of a free spirit. I'm a free spirit; I just let the words spill across the pages. _

"And 'Spill' it certainly does." he smirked. She rolled her eyes at him. He looked at his watch. "Well, to get this out of the way. Ja tebi dozvati." He mumbled.

There was a gust of wind and Krystal was standing in a star girl pose, dressed in a formal blue evening gown, her eyes flashing. She looked around the alien room.

"What the fu-"

Sasuke cleared his throat and she looked at him then at the wide eyed pink haired girl next to him. Her eyes travelled from one to the other then she looked around. There was a loud roar and wind spun around the room, her hair blowing back as she suddenly erupted in rage. Krystal looked at him in a 'this mother fucker did **not **just do that' look, her mouth almost hanging open.

"I was in the middle of something you little bitch!" she barked. "You inconsiderate bastard you didn't have to _summon_ me!" she screamed.

"Don't frighten her Krystal, act civilized would you?"

The wind died instantly and she smiled sweetly. "Hello darling, I'm Krystal, Sasuke's sister-in-law and I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure." she said like an innocent princess.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I was wondering if you could help me out." he said.

"Well since you summoned me I'm in the mood to not do jack for your ass. What'd you want?" she demanded. "Just snatch a chick from her dress fitting like some off the shelf douche." She mumbled to herself.

"She has a bad knee and I know you're not good at healing other worldly injuries but I was wondering if you could do something. I know you've been practicing."

She looked at Sakura before back at Sasuke. "Now you know how difficult that is and even if I tried, I doubt I could do much. I'm not an Earth healer," She reasoned.

Sasuke shot her a death glare and she held her hands up in surrender.

"I'm not saying I won't try, jeez, put your gun down. You're such a brat when it comes on to this girl." She said rolling her beautiful eyes. She looked at Sakura. "He talks about you nonstop with his brother it gets irritating. Granted you can't blame him but still, know what I mean?" she smiled.

"You talk so much, did you know that?" Sasuke asked her irritated, his cheeks slightly flushed.

She laughed. "Well now, let's not be enemies my dear boy." She joked walking over to Sakura.

She pulled the sheets off her and with her fingernails tore through the part of Sakura's jeans that cover her bad knee. Sakura winced from the stubble movement. Krystal eyed it for a while, looking at it intently. She could heal any damage, you name it, that her Kavazwalians could possibly get but humans no. She was a Kavazwalian healer, not an earth one.

"Well?" Sasuke asked.

She nodded. "I can heal this or at least I think I can. It's not anything too bad, pretty simple stuff. It's not complicated like AID's, Cancer, Sickle cell or anything." She said. "see if you had called me I could have whipped up a potion real fast and be here in a few to give it to her but no, I can't do that now since you're an asshole, ruined my fitting and completely throwing my schedule in the whack. Thank you Sasuke, just thank you." she rued. "You ready home girl?" Krystal asked.

Sakura just nodded numbly.

"Alright." Krystal said and cracked her knuckles. She rested her hands gently on Sakura's knee, close her eyes and spoke in a smooth, light, wise voice. "Waktu memegang dan ruang, padang rumput rusak danbergelombang pasang surut, memperbaiki yang salah dan menyembuhkan yang rusak. Waktu memegang dan ruang, padang rumput rusak danbergelombang pasang surut, memperbaiki yang salah dan menyembuhkan yang rusak." Krystal, using her sharp nails pricked her finger, a hot almost neon blue liquid fell on the middle of Sakura knee. "Waktu memegang dan ruang, padang rumput rusak danbergelombang pasang surut, memperbaiki yang salah dan menyembuhkan yang rusak."

Sasuke yawned and Krystal snorted. "How does it feel baby girl?" she asked.

Sakura took up back the pen. _Better, thank you very much. _

Krystal's forehead creased. "I won't even ask." She laughed backing away. "Well I have to go and Sasuke remember your promise to me, you've already been booked."

"You made a deal with my band members, not with me." Sasuke said. "Go away now Krystal, you've served your purpose."

She sneered before clapping her hands and vanishing. Sakura looked at him with her eyes bulging out of her head. He chuckled.

"Reality. Kavazwalian healing witch from the islands there." he replied. "You'll get used to things like this soon." He assured her flipping out of the bed to his feet. "Bed?" he asked, her obviously didn't know what else to do. She shook her head defiantly. He glared. "Yes," he said. She shook her head again and he glared harder. "Yes."

She rolled her eyes and scribbled on the notepad before holding it up. _I'm not tired. _

"You're lying and you and I both know that. You're exhausted." He stated. "Go to sleep." He instructed.

_But I don't want to._

"Well I'm in charge here and you agreed to cooperate so do as you promised." He shrugged.

_Tell me a story?_

"No."

She looked down, did a tiny movement of her bottom lips and nodded, placing a fake smile wide on her face. She put the pen and the notepad down and slid down into the bed, under the heavy dark covers. He watched her not surprised that she wouldn't persist.

Why would she just take things like that when she didn't deserve it? Why would she let him talk to her like she was nothing when she deserved more than that? If Sasuke was being honest he didn't want to believe that she accepted it because it was what she was used to. For some reason that reality seemed too harsh, too hard for someone like her.

"But," he began before he could stop himself, "I'll sing for you if you want me to." He whispered, locking eyes with her.

Her eyes darted around and her cheeks heated. He took a deep breath and headed back to the bed and went next to her. He took her small hands and moved her body ever so slowly until she was leaning on him, his head resting on her shoulder nest to her ear. He waited for her to relax completely into him, her breathing slow and deep and her eyes closed. The fact that she couldn't talk was actually lovely. If she wanted to protest she couldn't, not now.

She didn't tense she just waited and then he began singing, his voice soft and smooth, rich with much warmth and care, velvety and beautiful. He started singing over a beat that seemed to come out of thin air, low and calming in effort to put her to sleep. She wondered how he could make her feel something like that.

_**Sweet little words made for silence**__**  
><strong>__**Not talk**__**  
><strong>__**Young heart for love**__**  
><strong>__**Not heartache**__**  
><strong>__**Dark hair for catching the wind**__**  
><strong>__**Not to veil the sight of a cold world**__**Kiss while your lips are still red**__**  
><strong>__**While he`s still silent rest**__**  
><strong>__**While bosom is still untouched**__**  
><strong>__**Unveiled on another hair**__**  
><strong>__**While the hand`s still without a tool**__**  
><strong>__**Drown into eyes while they`re still blind**__**  
><strong>__**Love while the night still hides the withering dawn**_

Her breathing deepened as she sighed into him, dipping into a deep sleep, his voice a lullaby emerging for an ocean of calmness and softness. His voice rode the waves of serenity, soft and smooth coated with purpose; it's celestial and unrealistic feel, something too good, too perfect to be real. His voice sounded as if she created it from her mind, the most perfect thing she had ever heard, going deep into her soul and sending intricate heat through her heart.

_**First day of love never comes back**__**  
><strong>__**A passionate hour`s never a wasted one**__**  
><strong>__**The violin, the poet`s hand,**__**  
><strong>__**Every thawing heart plays your theme with care**__**Kiss while your lips are still red**__**  
><strong>__**While he`s still silent**__**  
><strong>__**Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled**__**  
><strong>__**Hold another hand while the hand`s still without a tool**__**  
><strong>__**Drown into eyes while they`re still blind**__**  
><strong>__**Love while the night still hides the withering dawn**_

She had fully drifted off into wonder land, her heart beat underwater creating a wrapping and overcoming sound, blending in with the musical harmony of his voice and the sounds around them.

_**Kiss while your lips are still red**__**  
><strong>__**While he`s still silent**__**  
><strong>__**Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled**__**  
><strong>__**Hold another hand while the hand`s still without a tool**__**  
><strong>__**Drown into eyes while they`re still blind**__**  
><strong>__**Love while the night still hides the withering dawn**_

**-While your lips are still red by Nightwish (which as you know, doesn't exist in this story)**

He held her close in his arms as she took even, deep, slow and relaxed breathes. Her body fit into his perfectly, so right even in his jagged and mis-matched creases. She fit into every seam, knuckle and cranny. He breathed in her scent and finally released himself into her. She was beautiful both inside and out. There was something about her purer than waters flowing from the highest of mountains. He kissed her neck, then her cheek and let the warmth of her body merge with the warmth of his. If this was how she was going to make him feel, why should he deny himself such a good thing?

So far this had been a confusing battle for him. He'd made one decision and changed his mind so many times but now that was coming to an end. He was just afraid; stunned by the alien feeling she gave to him and he didn't know how to deal with it but now, now he knew it wasn't bad and that it didn't make him weak to want her so badly, to want to care and protect her.

_**There you guys have it! I had a pretty traumatic weekend and it's been really hard for me and I'm going through a lot of stuff and I just want to say that even though you guys don't know it, your reviews have kept me going and stopping me from just clocking out. You guys really make me feel better and I just want to say THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH! YES YOU READING THIS! I LOVE YOU AND I AM VERY GREATFRUL TO HAVE YOU!**_

_**Loving you until the end of time,**_

_**D.V**_


	26. Chapter 26

_Here we are! The next promised update! So after this, I don't know how the chapters will go but I promise I will try to keep the updates coming as best as I possibly can okay guys? The next chapter although already written is a very emotional one so I'm going to be on that one for a little while. I would love to reach 200 reviews as my Christmas gift without passing 30 chapters, so I'm also working and hoping really hard to get that. _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Twenty Six]**

Sakura sighed and held out her hand to a pacing Sasuke Uchiha. He hadn't slept in two days and even though he didn't need to, that bothered her. He'd slept with her since she got here and anytime he didn't she had unspeakable nightmares.

"Come please." She said, her voice low, strained and hoarse. She was just getting her voice back and it hurt to speak as it was. She didn't care.

Sasuke looked at her and pressed his thin lips together. "Sakura, I don't quite think you understand this." he said.

"I do but you can't stay up forever." She said, edging him to take her hand.

Reluctantly -she could tell- he took her hand and got under the sheets with her. This was all so different for her, over the past couple of days things had… changed. She couldn't help but believe that it was for good this time.

It was like waves rushing to the shore had eased into the concept of one another and the responsibility they both had. He treated her better than anyone she had ever known and he was always with her, never going anywhere; never _wanting _to go anywhere. They'd learned so much about each other it was unbelievable. She loved his company, he was an amazing person to talk to and it was starting to feel like that wall between them was crumbling down.

Never had she thought that Sasuke would hold her all night as she slept or that he would sing her nightmares away or that he would wait for her before he could even go to bed. They needed each other and to her it didn't seem like a bad thing.

Sasuke didn't take her into his arms then; he sat up in bed and looked at her. He was worried; it was swimming in his eyes.

"I'll be fine." She forced herself to say, wincing at the pain of speaking.

Sasuke shook his head. "I really don't think so…not without some help." He said.

Her eyes softened and she sighed silently. They had been going through this all morning. Sasuke was sure that the second stage Kitsumarvada would happen tonight. Sasuke knew that physically her body wasn't at its best and she wasn't ready for it. He was agitated. He was worried that she might not make it out.

Sakura didn't know what to really say or even do. Honestly she didn't want to go through something as painful as that ever again in her life but she had no control over it. It just had to happen and she didn't really want to think about it. They'd gotten so close and so in tuned with each other lately that she could feel all the anxiety he was trying not to show. She took his hand and held it. She smiled.

"See, everything will be fine. You need to sleep." She said.

"Sa-"

"Sleep." She insisted.

He ran his fingers through his hair. After everything that had happened to her, she hadn't even been able to sleep right. When she slept within Sasuke's presence she didn't dream of anything. She didn't have nightmares and that's all she wanted.

He made her feel like they were in some sort of relationship. As if they were in _that _kind of relationship. She kept having mixed feelings but she promised to cooperate and just let this whole thing ride and she was going to do just that.

When his hands wrapped around her body her heart sank into a deep and fast beat. She couldn't understand why he made her feel this way. She felt like she couldn't even breathe without him and he wasn't even hers.

"Alright fine." He whispered in her ear, making her skin tingle. "Sleep it is." He agreed.

Her own hands feel on top of his and their fingers intertwined. Did she deserve this kind of heaven? Had she earned this kind of serenity and love bubbling inside of her for someone she didn't even really know? Had she earned any of this?

Her mind drifted into the deep, calm place where she could rest. She ran into the open arms of deep sleep.

_She was in that place again. She was home again and she couldn't understand it. The light was blinding and she looked down at the hand she was holding. Warmth ran throughout her body and she looked ahead of her with a smile. She was at this beautiful place once again. With the one she loved and couldn't live without again. This was where she always wanted to be and with him. She didn't want anyone else. No one understood her like he did…stayed with her like he did. _

"_You shouldn't be here." he said, his voice static ice._

"_Why not?"_

_Inside her felt like he was pulling from her and that he was keeping something from her. There wasn't supposed to be any secrets between them. They were supposed to trust each other. Why was she getting that dreadfully bad feeling as if a nightmare was about to begin?_

"_You need to go." He said his voice hard. _

"_Why?" she couldn't help but ask. _

_This wasn't like him. She knew him, she knew who he was. He needed her. She knew that he needed her. She couldn't just leave him like that. Even he had wanted her to come back. _

"_I don't want to hurt you but the time is coming close where I will have to." He said, his voice tight. "Please go." He said desperately snatching his hand from her hold and pushing himself to his feet. _

_Sakura looked up at him. A tall Adonis before her, skin so smooth, thick and rippled with waves of muscles. His body was sleek and shun in the sun, dripping what seemed to be sweat. His shorts hugged his lean body, his abs crunching with his movement. She awed. Slender fingers ran through midnight hair but still, even now, she couldn't see his face. _

_Her heart wrenched though as she looked at her hands; hands that were once tangled in his. She didn't understand. She pushed herself to her feet and stood next to him, her feet sinking in the suddenly not so heavenly sand. She looked directly ahead of her. She felt cold and distant and she couldn't put her fingers on it. _

_When he touched her again, fire so cold blazed through her. She jumped but he didn't let go of her this time. His fingers intertwined with hers and he held on tightly to her. _

"_The gate is now closing." He said. _

_Her heart beat sped up, the world started spinning around her. She didn't feel like she knew him anymore. He seemed like a stranger to her all of a sudden. A feeling of betrayal rose steadily inside of her but she couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that he wasn't who she thought he was. That wasn't possible. She loved him. She knew she loved him. That's why she always felt this way with him. He wouldn't betray her. He wouldn't hurt her. He promised. _

"_Then I have to go." She said. "I'll come back, I promise."_

_He shook his head. "I have no choice. I can't let you go now." He said. "You have to stay here."_

"_I'll be trapped here." she reminded him panicking. _

"_You should have left when I begged you to." He said remorsefully. "I don't want to do this." he said more to himself than to her. _

"_Do what?"_

"_This." he said. "I don't want to hurt you but I have no choice. I have no will over this part of me." he said. _

_She didn't understand what he was talking about but as she looked ahead of her, out to the waters, she saw a storm rolling right in. No. This was paradise, storms didn't brew in paradise. The clouds were an electric blue she had never seen, lightning so fierce flashing as it neared. She couldn't move, he was holding her down, forcing her feet to be cemented in the sand. What was going on?_

_Her heart raced and her body filled with panic. _

Sakura's body launched forward and a wad of blood flew from her mouth. She didn't even have time to react as more blood flew out and somewhere on her snapped. Her head spun and dread washed over her. It was happening wasn't it? Her hands blindly felt around her but the bed was empty. Where was Sasuke?

Her hands shook like a leaf in a storm as she ran the back of her hands under her nose. Blood was leaking from her nose and mouth. She gasped and fumbled out of bed. Her head pounded terribly and another terrible snap echoed in the room and this time she couldn't hold the scream. She shrieked as fire blazed through her entire body. She was breathing hard as she collapsed to the floor.

Her back arched and there were a series of thunderous snaps. It felt like something was being drawn out of her body. Her body pulled itself up until she was in the air, her mouth open and only god knows what coming out of her stomach. The fear and panic that she felt, the pain touching every cell in her body was just like the last time.

"Sasuke…" she rasped, her mind flickering in and out of reality.

She was gasping, the pain subsiding to something deeper, smoother, drowning her. She felt like she was drowning from the inside out, submerged under water with her eyes open. Her hair fanned out around her and her hands stretched out to reach for something above the surface. She felt like she was falling deeper and deeper into the water, so much further from the surface. Her eyes rolled over the moment a hand grabbed her, pulling her body down onto the bed.

"Sakura?"

His voice was so far away and so sweet. It was lost above her on land as she drowned in the water. Her mind started to flicker in and out of her dream.

"_No, no, no!" Sakura screamed as his hand locked harder onto hers, dragging her through the rough sand. _

"_Don't make this harder than it is. I want Sasuke, I need to get rid of you."_

"_Please!" Sakura shrieked when the frigid water touched her flesh. It stung, hitting her flesh like wet leather._

_With a hard thud he threw her into the water. Hard hands grabbed her shoulder, shoving her down right under. Her mouth opened as her hands and feet moved wildly. No! Why was this happening? She trusted him with her deepest darkest secrets. She held his hand through his terrible days. Why was he doing this to her? _

_He pulled her body up, the water splashing all around her. She gasped, water filling her lungs as her eyes shot open. Her heart raced and the world spun around her. It was hard to breath. _

"_Why did you have to come here and make this harder for me?" he asked angrily and her eyes rolled over when she finally saw his face. _

_Nausea rushed through her, bile rose in her throat and the world seemed to have stopped, regardless of the fact that he was trying to drown her. She was looking right into the onyx eyes of Sasuke Uchiha. No…that was impossible wasn't it?_

"Sakura," Sasuke said, cool hands touching her face.

"Sasuke…" her voice was barely audible as his was too far away for her to hear it.

"You're going to be fine."

"I trusted you." She said gasping.

"Sasuke, we need to get started." A wistful, far, deep smooth voice said.

Sakura's body shook and shivered as cold chills travelled down her spine. Sasuke rose and cracked his knuckles.

"It'll start coming out soon." He replied his voice tight. A hand touched her face and his voice sounded so close to her ear yet so far away. "You'll be fine, I promise."

A hand came down so hard on her stomach, crushing her pelvis she screamed so loud and high-pitched it felt like she going to burst a vein. It came down again. _No…no more…please…stop._

_**Honestly guys, I swore this chapter was longer. I mean, really I thought it was like 14 pages and here it is, it's only six. I hope you don't feel like I robbed you, I'm so sorry. I would have included the next chapter, you know to make it longer but that just wouldn't have worked. Thanks for all the support, the reviews etc. it means a whole lot to me, I hope you guys are having an okay time and making it through your days. **_

_**Always here for you guys,**_

_**D.V **_


	27. Chapter 27

_Here we are again my beauties! _

_**CRUCIAL NOTE!: **Alright so I have been wondering a lot about how you (the reader) will piece things together in the story. I was (still am) worried that some of you just might not get it and that is a fault of mine I believe. It has been brought to my attention through reviews (lord bless all you reviewers souls you're my pride and joy) that some of you really understand what's going on no question asked but others, you guys are having a little trouble. **So to clear things up that might have confused you in the last chapter, what was revealed through it was that (and I cannot explain this in the story because as I said, it was left to be pieced together by the reader):** Sasuke's soul is inside of sakura and the boy in the dream is of course Sasuke (obviously). Sakura has been communicating with Sasuke's own soul. Sasuke's own soul is inlove with Sakura, he cares deeply for her and feels vulnerable without her but he cannot escape the natural instinct when the time has come to escape to his real owner. It is built in him to try to leave Sakura's body and reunite with Sasuke's but he doesn't want to do that if it means hurting Sakura so he tried to protect her before it was too late by asking her to leave. **Hope that helped! (I feel like a terrible writer because some of you guys didn't understand that, I guess I didn't really write that part well enough so you could understand. I am REALLY REALLY sorry about that. Please don't be mad at me)** _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title: Natsu no kōrinoFuyu Kasai (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Twenty Seven]**

Sasuke sat there and ran his fingers through her hair over and over again. They were on his bed and she was out cold, her head in his lap. His cold eyes were soft and deep, seeping into her body. He held her close, refusing to let her go. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on her own.

What now? He wished he knew what to do in the aftermath of things but he didn't. He leaned back and looked at her beautiful face when she gasped, her eyes flying open with a startling scream. She bolted up, gasping and blinking. He sat there staring at her. He made no move to touch her least he frightened her. She clutched her chest and looked at him, her eyes welling up with tears that wouldn't spill. He nodded confirming her silent question. It had passed.

She let out a heavy breath and fell back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She was here but she really wasn't here at the same time. He could see it in the way her mouth was slightly open, her eyes like silicon. He looked down at this own hands, not really knowing what to do with this side of Sakura.

If she was crying and in his arms he could deal with that -someway somehow- but this was different. She looked almost like a lifeless doll, waiting for its master to control and move it around.

"Sakura?"

Her head turned to the side and she looked at him, her eyes an ashy kind of green. This time it had affected her harshly, he could see it. She stared at him and stared and stared… it was if she was trapped in it still, not realizing that it had ended.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She turned away and looked back at the ceiling, ignoring his question. He bit the insides of his jaw and sighed. He got off the bed and held his hand out to hers. She was in shock. She'd get over it, it'll hit her soon. She placed her hands in his robotically and he pulled her to her feet. She stood, released his hand and looked up at him. Waiting for something but he didn't know what she was waiting for.

"Come." He said heading to the kitchen.

She followed him silently, her feet fleshy patting as she walked. That was odd and slightly off putting. They got in the kitchen and she took a seat on the stool around the island. Sasuke went into the cupboard and took out the broccoli looking thing Tsuande had given to him. He heated the water, drew it and placed it in front of her. Usually it would be hell and back to get her to drink it but not this time. She took the mug and started to drink. He stood there, arms folded with his mind rattling.

When the cup was empty she stood and for the first time since she was awake he got a reaction out of her. She gripped the island and let out a series of wet coughs. Blood spots flew out of her mouth and her hand flew to her stomach. He wrapped his hands around her waist as she almost doubled over. His hand pulled her hair back just in time for her to puke her guts out in the sink. Blood pooled in the sink, her hands white and shaking as she held her stomach.

"Sasuke," she trembled her voice low and wavering.

He bit his lips and tried his hardest not to look away from her. Nothing bothered him as much as seeing her in states like this. How was this medication making her better? Look what it was doing to her. He let out a shaky breath and turned on the tap where she washed out her mouth and pushed herself up. There was a split second of silence. It was a haunting, mentally heavy kind of silence then her body went limp. He stood there with her in his arms for what felt like forever.

He looked at her and the helplessness she was in. what could she do on her own? Why did it have to be this way? She had more than one thing sucking the life from her. Was she really strong enough, did Fate know what it was doing?

He brought her back into the room, placed her under the sheets and because for a moment he felt like he couldn't do this anymore he walked out of the room.

**~O~**

_**(a/n this is an actual song. Listen to it, it's called. Endless Love {Piano Version} \ Beautiful Piano. please play as you read from this point forward. This is not the song Sakura hears at the beginning but the song Sasuke plays for her.)**_

Sakura yawned as she awoke from the music invading and surrounding her. She pushed herself up on her elbows already exhausted. She blinked and keened her ears to listen to dreadfully painful and agonizingly lonely piano song. Her heart ached and her hairs stood on end. She removed the sheets and staggered out of bed. Dragging her feet and breathing heavily she followed the sounds, moving as silently as she could. She'd never been anywhere else in this house really; she'd never gotten a tour. She'd never been upstairs or in the basement or any other rooms in the house; he'd never brought her there.

However, the piano had so much emotion, so much pain it was calling her. She'd never heard anything so melodic; so harmonic before. It tugged at her insides, made her fill with sympathy and compassion and made her want to cry. She looked at the stairs and started to climb them one at a time, holding on to the railing to steady herself.

When she reached the top of the stairs she was tired and there was a door there, the piano seeping from under the door and spilling around the house, floating all over the place. She touched the knob and pushed the door open and stood there, the song almost dragging her to her feet.

Her hand gasped the door as she looked ahead on her. She'd never seen a place like this. The entire top floor was one room, wide and spacious. It was painted in lonely gray, the paint peeling at the bottom of the walls with wet marks from what would be leaks in the ceiling. There were book shelves in the corners, some bookshelves were completely empty, books strung out at the base of the shelves, cracks travelling up the walls. There was one window where a rolled-arm double window seat couch was. It was a deep gray and it looked untouched. There was a piano in the center of the large, overly big room and it looked ancient. Sasuke was sitting there. He was playing it.

She stood there looking at him with a pained expression. The melody he was playing was a sad one, a painfully lonely one…a cold one like the entire room. It was detached and all she felt inside her heart was sadness, raining down on her from the song he played, wrapping around her, digging deep into her. Her eyes watered. She watched his fingers press keys, his expression cold and lost. She'd never thought that he would be aching this way on the inside but he was, the song he played kept speaking for him. His fingers kept going and he kept looking down until suddenly he just…stopped.

He looked up and their eyes locked. Sakura held her hand up in apology. She shouldn't be here. She realized why he'd never brought her in here. This was a dreadfully private and personal place. She would imagine that this was how his mind looked.

"No." he said, his voice husky. He blew out a long breath. "Come in and close the door." He said. Sakura hesitated. "It's fine." he assured her.

Sakura closed the door behind her and walked on the cold floor deeper into the hollow room.

"I thought only Shikamaru played the piano." She said croakily.

He smirked. "We all play the piano, Shikamaru is just the best." He said. "He's the most versatile. I just play this one right here." he said running his fingers over the top.

Sakura touched it, the wood smooth and cool to the touch. It felt beautiful and it seemed stupid to attach such qualities to an object but it felt loving and understanding. It felt like truth; like humanity. She looked at him with soft eyes. She'd never seen such a side of him. Such a…human side of him.

"How old is this?"

"Old." He replied. "It's the only piano I've ever played."

"It's beautiful." She whispered in awe.

"Sit by the window. I want to play something I wrote for you." he said.

"Really?"

"Yes really. Sit. Now's as good of a time as ever." He said.

Sakura smiled and went to the couch where she sat down, stretching out her legs on the couch and looking through the window up into the sky at the overly large moon. She waited patiently for him to start playing. He wrote a song for her? As in, just for her alone to express what?

Music so beautiful sprung to life in the night, music revisiting, touching every bone and cell in her body. Harmony so delicious, calming and understanding, so deep and loving wrapped around her like a blanket warming her in this cold room. Emotions sprung from each note, feeling what she was feeling, expressing what she was too afraid to express, singing to her a song no one would ever love her enough to sing.

She looked at the moon, a deep yearning and pain coming to life inside of her. Her body shuddered and before she knew it tears were running down her cheeks, dripping on Sasuke's white T shirt. How could music know more about her life and her past than she did? What gave such melodies the right to invade her heart and bring to light what had been buried? What gave it the right to know more about herself than she did?

When he was finished silence took them in the room as Sakura hugged herself looking out. Her mind was blaring with memories washing over her. She turned and noticed that Sasuke was looking at her.

"Remember that song. Never forget it because I'll never write another one for you unless you make me." He said.

"How'd I do that?"

"You'd have to break my heart or something." He said smirking instantly lifting the mood.

Sakura smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. She didn't know what to say. He patted the seat next to him and silently she rose and went to sit next to him. It was weird how in her dream, she'd trusted him so much and without question and he'd tried to drown her. Yet here she was, trusting him fully no questions asked and she wasn't afraid. She wasn't going to let that nightmare ruin her like all the others would. He was here for her, he was taking care of her and he wouldn't be doing it if he didn't need her too. That's what he'd said. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've never been up here." she whispered.

"I didn't know how you'd react to it." he replied, resting his head on hers.

"It's cold."

"It is."

"And…depressing."

"It is." He agreed again.

"You're a beautiful player." She commented.

"Thank you." he said in that usually empty voice of his.

"Can you tell me something?"

"Anything you want to know." he said.

She ran her finger tips lightly over the keys of the piano, admiring it and the amount of passion and emotion it was capable of voicing.

"That song…did you really write it for me?"

"And about you, yes I did." He replied. "There are many things I wish I could do for you, many things I wish I could tell you that I just _can't_."

"What do you wish you could do for me?" she asked distantly, idly pressing keys.

It felt like they were having such a personal and space invading conversation. It felt like for just the moment all the walls were down, all the masks were off and only what was on the inside was being revealed.

There was silence so saturated she felt like if she even moved it would burst and everything would come spilling over. The suspense dwindled inside of her, bubbling up. She felt she was going to break, snap and crack under its emotional weight.

"I don't really know." he said after a long while, his voice hushed. "I supposed I wish I knew you; the life you've lived. I wish I could take away the terrible things that are-" he broke off.

Sakura looked down.

Sasuke tried again. "I wish I could make you forge-" He paused and tried to find different words to express himself. "I wish I was able to take away the pain."

She didn't have to ask to know that it took everything out of him to just admit that to her. She knew he'd had to drop every piece of his pride to say that.

"I had a dream," she began softly, swirling her fingers on the keys, "and I was in paradise…with you. I trusted you and I loved you, you were everything to me I didn't want to leave you; I didn't want to let go of your hand. You felt so perfect to me. I was so happy…and then you tried to kill me." she said her body wrenching at the nightmare.

"That was just a dream." He said softly.

"It felt so real." she said. "It has made me afraid. I don't want you to know me and leave."

He was silent again before his neat, slender fingers twined with hers. He kissed the back of her hand tenderly.

"The truth is, even if I wanted to Sakura I couldn't. I'm forever bound to you."

"What do I have so badly for you Sasuke?" she asked. "Why won't you take it?"

"Do you really want the truth?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You have my soul inside of you and I don't want to take it if it means you die." he held his breath for a split second. "I don't particularly want it anymore. However, things between us are much more complicated than that."

"Your soul? How is that possible?"

"It just is. It's all so complicated Sakura and I don't want to weigh you down with it. I know if I tell you about it you will over think things. I just want to make sure that you're still here at the end of the day."

"Is that why you care?"

"No it's not." He said without hesitating. "That's not the reason why I honestly care about you. Don't doubt me Sakura. You don't know how much it means to me when you actually trust me and have faith in me." he conceded.

"I don't understand all of this."

"And you're usually the one being stuck with the pain. I know and I am sorry about that. I don't know how to explain this. I can't tell you what I don't know." he waved his hand around, indicating the room. "This…this is the only thing I am sure of, needless to say, there are times when I don't even know what this really is."

"I just…there are so many uncertain things that make things harder for me."

He sighed. "Truly that is my doing because I haven't told you the little that I do know. You will think of things in a way you don't need to think about them and I cannot weigh you down like that. It is better that you don't know the truth about what is going on between us. Just know that this is how it's supposed to be."

She looked at their tangled hands. "This is fate right?"

"This is fate."

"How do you explain this?"

"There is light and there is darkness, there is fire and there is ice, there is summer and there is winter, there is yin and yang and then Sakura... there is you and me. One can never exist without the other."

_**Well there you go guys! Hope it was a good read! I realize I am uploading chapters more than I'm actually writing them and soon you guys might come to the last chapter I have written with the following one not even started. I get holiday next week so let's hope I write faster! HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT AND STICK WITH ME UNTIL THE END! AND I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE SLOW UPDATES! DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST ME! ^.^**_

_**Endless, bottomless, boundless love, **_

_**D.V**_


	28. Chapter 28

_So here we are again guys! So that writers block I've been having lately has been letting up but even though it's Christmas and the holiday and all that, I still have classes so you know how that goes. Thanks all readers for still reading, reviewers for reviewing, fav-ers for faving (does that make sense? please don't think i'm stupid, i do use words that don't exist) /: READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Twenty Eight]**

Sasuke yawned and tried to roll out of bed only to have Sakura unconsciously grab his forearm and pull him back into the bed. He rolled his eyes. If he left it to her, he would never get up out of this bed. It was hell for him to get out once he got in with her. She refused to let him go, not that he had a problem with that. He had thought this was probably going to be hard but in truth, it wasn't even close to that. He looked at the clock mounted on the wall and sat up again.

He looked at her -pink hair sprawled out around her beautifully, her smooth glowing skin and pink, moist parted lips- and felt himself get uncontrollably hard. He'd been facing this aching fate since the night he brought her here. When she slept, she was all over him, hanging on to him, trailing him lightly and as much as he tried to control himself it was a difficult task.

Sakura was just as woman as any other girl out there, she had all the sexualities about her, she had all the seductive tools that she unknowingly used against him and he was as man as anyone else, he was not immune to her charms. He hadn't had any sexual contact since his night at the club and no one but he knew how hard that was for him. He touched her face and it sent painful flames surging through his fingertips all over his body. God she was beautiful, so beautiful but it felt wrong to be sexually attracted her…it seemed…evil to him.

He hadn't physically desired her _this much _in the beginning for some unknown reason but now, after gaining such true feelings, feelings that were not forced, he was actually very much sexually attracted to her. Now, the attraction between them was burning for him because he wanted her in all the ways he could have her and that included her body; every nook and cranny of her body, her head to her toes and the deepest whirlpools. He wanted to paint himself on her canvas and become one with her; she was deadly sexy in an innocent way especially when she came out of the shower, her hair curled and dripping wet, her body flushed from the hot water and her eyes vibrant. What he would do to view her delicious wet body unclothed in front of him, her eyes shy and cheeks red hot. He got harder. He shook himself before he got carried away once again in his thoughts.

He traced her face lightly before ripping his hand away and forcing his lust into the corners of his mind. He wouldn't allow her to see him hard, only Lord knows how greatly that might scare her.

"Sakura, get up." he ordered.

She made a strained grumbling sound and turned on her other side, her back now to him. He smirked. He shook her gently before he slid out of the large bed and ran his fingers through his tangled hair. His bare feet touched the carpet silently.

"Sakura, I said to get up," he said rubbing his stomach and wiping the sleep from his eyes. "We have somewhere to go." he informed her, pulling the blinds of his ceiling high windows open, allowing the nasty bright sunlight to stream in and warm the room up. He cracked a few of the large windows open to allow some fresh air in.

When he turned she was sitting up, her hair sprung out terribly around her all frizzed out. Her bed head was cute. She yawned and rubbed her eyes before looking around. She seemed puzzled and her eyes trailed to the calendar.

"A week." She mumbled almost surprised.

He shrugged. "Yes, it's been a week more or less." He informed her. Somewhere inside he couldn't believe it either. It didn't really feel like a week. It felt more like a day, as if she had just gotten here. "And I did what you asked; Tsunade told me that Clare would not be there today." He said.

She smiled. 'Thank you' she mouthed. He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, get up or you're going to make us late. The first set is on the night table; take them before you go in the shower." He said pointing to the medication as he exited the room to leave her to getting ready.

Sasuke sighed when he closed the door behind him and headed down the halls. They worked well together, far better than he thought and this wasn't as bad as it used to seem. He knew it was just a week and maybe he was jumping the gun but this girl, no matter what, managed to make all the time he spent with her the best he'd ever spent with anyone.

He wasn't going to lie, he found himself frighteningly at ease with her in all ways or form. He wanted her to be his and he wanted to be everything for her. She seemed so lost and innocent, as if she wasn't used to life and he wanted to be there to protect her from it.

He could feel it though, when she was asleep and her guard dropped that she was in some deep emotional pain. She kept putting on this show for so long even she now believed it and that just proved that she needed help. He'd finally had the guts to admit that he wanted to be the one to take all of that from her but he didn't have enough guts to tell her that he wanted to love her the way no one else ever has.

Sasuke had never loved; he'd never even tried but Kami knew he was willing to do his best for this girl. He was willing to push all his pride aside and put down every single wall he had up and melt his stone cold heart for this summer girl that deserved the best in the world. He wasn't good at talking about what bothered him or what he was feeling or rather, what he wasn't but he was willing to open up to her just so she could have someone she could fully open up to. She had too many things inside of her, too many wars and battles were going on it wasn't fair for her to be going through it alone. He didn't know where this compassion was coming from but it was there and since she came to his house and slept in his arms for so long, it just wasn't going away.

He entered the kitchen and blinked. Minie was there, scrubbing down the counter. She looked up and yelped. He smirked, amused. Minie was his maid but he hadn't seen Minie in months. The girl was invisible when she needed to be. She came and cleaned and left more than half the times without being detected.

"Sasuke." she stuttered.

He smirked and headed over to his fridge. "What's up Minie?" he asked nonchalantly.

She flushed. "Sorry, I swear I was going to be out here by 4am but there were some problems at home and I got here late." She said.

"It seems that's the only case in which I actually see you." he stated rummaging through his fridge for things to give Sakura for breakfast and ignoring the awkwardness he felt building between them. This wouldn't be odd if she didn't want it to be. He knew every time he had a female over, she got funny. He shrugged and decided on eggs, pancakes, beacon and a glass of orange juice.

Minie snorted. "You're the one who told me you wanted 'sometime' to yourself you know."

"True." He agreed. "Things have been stressing."

"I can only imagine. I was reading the news this morning and they told me about the 'conflicts' going on within the councils regarding the classes and the uproar over in Shadow with the Dragons. It's just terrible; I can't help but wonder what Knight Neji is going to do about that, not that I would worry. They're just seeking attention from you all."

"Don't you know your news." He said in a dead panned voice.

"The newspapers lie though Sasuke and I know that." Minie said giving the island one last finish before looking at her face in it.

Minie was young, no more than eighteen years old. She was short and very beautiful with jade green hair and fire red cat eyes and seductive sharp teeth that enhanced her lips and gave her a fierce look. She had the power to shift into other planes or even create alternate places within space, beyond the laws of physics. She had been forced to live a harsh life for thousands of years. Sasuke hadn't wanted her to work for him in the beginning for she was too nice, happy and was in love with him and he couldn't deal with that. However, Minie was his only maid and over the two centuries he'd had her for, she'd grown on him.

Sasuke shrugged and pulled out a frying pan and got the eggs from the fridge. Minie shuffled over to him and turned on the stove and bumped him aside.

"I got this." she said kindly flashing a sweet smile.

Sasuke sat down and their eyes locked each one hard and stony. She was trying and failing. Some part of him wished he had awoken later and so, in turn, didn't have to see her. Minie was the one to look away and start cracking the two eggs. She worked efficiently and quickly. She fried two eggs, made two pancakes and fried four slices of bacon. She poured two glasses of orange juice and almost slammed it down on the island in front of him.

Sasuke bit his lips and glared at Minie. She didn't hesitate to glare right back and flick her eyes in a fierce 'what are you gonna do 'bout it' way. She added a straw to each glass of orange juice before turning her back to him to clean, put back all the things she had used, hand wash the frying pan and the few utensils and washed her hands.

Sasuke knew that one of the many reasons he hadn't seen MInie was because of Sakura. He didn't blame her, she was trying to be the bigger person and prevent this exact thing from happening. Once upon a time when Sasuke was really horny, they had had a thing but that could hardly be seen as his fault. Also with it being so many years ago, he didn't see anything wrong with it. Granted, there were many intervals of sex after that as well. He wasn't going to lie, Minie had it real _good_ and she knew how to keep up with him _all _night long. She was wild and fierce when it came to heat, she had turned that shit up and it was one of the best fucks he'd ever gotten in all his life, _but _the effects were destructive to her heart in the long run.

"Do you want anything else?" she asked innocently.

Sasuke leaned back and smirked. "No, actually I think I'm fine." He said. She glared at him and yanked the apron from her body, ripping three buttons of her blouse open on purpose he was sure. Sasuke sighed. "Minie." He warned icily.

She turned to him, her attitude suddenly different. She purred and smiled. "Yes?" she asked seductively, her voice dripping acid of sex.

Sasuke shook his head sadly at the fact that he started getting hard. He hated the male complex in the mornings. The simplest things at this hour could get his dick hard; he had very little control over this. Lust and temptation was carnal, animal instinct to yield to it. Minie smiled innocently and sashayed over to him and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Is everything alright?" she cooed.

"Aren't you tired of playing this cat and mouse game with me?" He asked simply.

She sighed. "Well, it's better to get a piece of cheese instead of none, right?" she said and leaned in his ears. "When was the last time you fucked me?" she purred.

He sighed and pushed her away from him. Their eyes locked and he watched flames rise in hers.

"I can't."

It didn't seem right. It was true that Sasuke wasn't a man for much of what was 'right' but he really didn't want to. It seemed dreadfully wrong to doing the naughty with Minie right now worse with Sakura in the house and the week they had together. He had to try to resist even with the great desire to take what Minie was offering him.

She smiled. "She doesn't have to know and Sasuke, you're starving." She said sweetly, her finger releasing icy blue smoke as she ran her fingers hotly over his lips, her sharp nails almost cutting his.

Sasuke let the essence slide down his throat and he glared at her. Was she trying to bribe him with fresh souls? Didn't she know he was stronger than that?

"Minie,"

"I have twenty that I collected this morning. I was planning to seal them and leave them in the fridge but I mean, here you are. I could give them to you right now of course but what fun would that be?" she teased, holding her index finger up to let the icy gas almost, rise from her fingers, its essence wrapping around Sasuke's body.

Sasuke licked his lips, not at the soul but at her; at Minie and her undeniable beauty and the breath of seduction. She was a feline, she was sleek and manipulative. She specialized in tasks like this. He leaned back and let her climb on top of him, straddling him with her delicious hips. She looked down at him, pressed her body against his manhood and smiled.

"What's it going to be?"

He glared. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "You're annoying me right now." He informed her.

She traced his lips with her beautiful fingers, releasing souls as she did so, feeding him. She nodded and leaned down to rest her head on his shoulder.

"We felines tend to like it rough, you know that." she whispered.

He liked playing with his own kind, it enabled him to let loose and be as vigorous as he wanted to be. Humans had soft, fragile bodies and the sadomasochistic kind was hard to find for his benefit. They couldn't move as fast, hit as fast, pleasure as hard and last as long. They weren't trained.

He knew he some moral code applied somewhere and he shouldn't do this but he wasn't with Sakura, she didn't technically belong to him and he couldn't have sex with her, that just wasn't right. One quickie wouldn't hurt would it? He knew he was going to regret this and guilt would probably kill him. This could just be his last one, his last act of sin before repenting. This was the last one…he'd ensure that. One last taste before he gave it all up.

Minie kissed him, her lips harsh and rushed, fueled with lust. He grabbed her hair and snapped her neck back painfully. She smiled.

"Oh, this is how it's going to be." She stated. He nodded. "Then here is definitely not the right place. I think we'll be breaking things." she said taking his hand and pushing it down.

He waited until there was a flash and he didn't have to ask to know that they were in a different plane, somewhere completely different. He was still in his kitchen but the entire place was in a hue of light blue. They were strong people and their lips tangled, creating sparks of heat. Sasuke hadn't had sex in a while and rough sex even longer and Kami knew how hard it had been for him to go such a long time. It hadn't seemed so bad until Minie pointed it out.

He stood and her legs wrapped around him as she slender hands held his face, the kiss crushing and to the point of painful. He slammed her body into the refrigerator, denting it and she groaned, pulling her blouse over her head. She gripped the edges of his shirt desperately and pulled it over his head, throwing it aside. His hard hands ran over her beautiful body, his tongue following neatly. His tongue trailed and traced the sides of her neck, his breath icy cold and chilling. Her hands scarped down his back as she moaned, her back ached. His hands grouped her breasts harshly and she winced. He tore off her bra and she gasped her eyes and face lighted. He pulled her nipples painfully between his fingers, dipping his head and swirling his tongue around the buds. His hands wrapped around her waist and she released his name in a sigh.

He took her body and slammed her down on the granite counter, pushing everything on top of it to the floor. Minie moaned painfully, her breath harsh as she smiled at him. He rolled her eyes; she would have it no other way he knew. She shifted on the counter as Sasuke pulled off her jeans and lace underwear. He looked at her and she smirked as his eyes shifted, turning to red sins before her.

Lust was consuming him.

He grabbed her neck and forced her down on the island before taking her legs, pulling her harshly down to the edge of the counter and opening her legs as wide as they could go, so far apart almost dislocating them from her hips. One hand rested on her stomach and his finger nails sank so deep into her flesh it drew blood. His tongue ran up the lengths of the insides of her thighs before greeting her gates of pleasured glory. She writhed under him, her incoherent moans growing louder and clearer each time. Her body squirmed and her back arched as her nails dug into his back, scraping his skin so hard she too drew blood.

The scent of their blood seemed to transcend into the air with the goal of intoxicating them. Pleasure rushed through their bodies as desperation filled them. Desperate for the orgasm. Her back arched more and with so much force that the counter top cracked he forced her body down. Sasuke's used his free hand to slide a finger inside of Minie. He felt her body shiver and tremble beneath him and his name slither from her sinful lips. Minie loved the power that Sasuke had, holding her down so hard her body crushed into the counter, sinking deeper and deeper into it, crushing it.

Pleasure soared through her as Sasuke relentless drew her to climax but never allowing her to take that last step. He drew her to the edge, fucking her with his tongue and fingers, making her body burn hot like she was having a fever. Her nipples were so hard it was painful, her clit was so swollen it hurt and she trembled. She wanted him to fuck her, her desire to have him fill her with him, to have him swell inside of her was so strong her eyes watered. This was torture.

His fingers went in and out of her with extreme force, her body wiggling under him, hips riding his movements like waves. He stood and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her up in a sitting position on the counter. Her legs wrapped around him as they kissed, their lips pressing so hard with so much lust hers' bruised. Minie pushed him back and jumped off the counter, falling before him. She ripped off his pants and boxers and smiled.

Sasuke ran his finger through his hair as Minie trailed down his chest with her fingers; sending light pleasure sparks through him. The souls eased from her finger tips, easing around his body in euphoria. She knew how to play dirty. He hadn't fed in ages. He was starving.

She grasped his manhood with her hand before she started stroking him. His head titled back and his hand grabbed her hair, forcing her to take him into his mouth. She did so openly and willing, taking in as much of him as she could. She moved smoothly, taking him as deep as she could before she started to finger herself while she was at it, her moans and trembles sounding almost innocent. Her tongue lapped around him in suction, her free hand gripping him tightly working in sync.

He grabbed her and pulled her to her feet and dragged her into the living room. He pushed her harshly onto the couch and in one clean swoop he was deep and painfully inside of her. She gasped and grabbed onto him, her eyes watering.

He smirked. "I thought this was how you wanted it." he teased.

She gasped and shivered. "I forgot how suicidal your dick was. You could crush my womb."

"Then let's get to it." he said going deeper inside of her warm, wet open body.

His movements were hard, made to be painful. He bruised the inside of her, his manhood penetrating deep inside her wetness, her body clamping around him. She moaned his name, screamed it even until her throat got hoarse. Her hips rode his heavy and hardcore movements; matching his stride with painful eagerness as she accommodated his largeness. He swelled inside her, opening her up and filling her with his body. They were fast creatures and soon, Sasuke was rammed into the wall, Minie's legs wrapped around him, her hands holding his face as they kissed hungrily.

"Fuck me harder," she whispered between the kisses, the heat and sweat. Sasuke held onto her waist and as he forced himself deeper inside of her, pressing her down on him, her head tipped back as she let out a sonorous moan.

Electric blue swallowed them up as Minie released all the souls she was housing, unable to contain them and the pleasure all at once. Sasuke sucked them in like he was starving, the feeling unexplainable.

She held onto him as they ended up on the carpet, her legs wrapped tightly around him with him on his knees. Her back arched as her nails dug into the carpet. God lord it felt so good to release his sexual tension; to let go the sexual build up that was inside of him. It felt so good to get a good fuck. They both climaxed explosively at the same time, soaring to new heights and reaching the loud trumpets of sin and sexuality.

When Sasuke pulled out of her, she was trembling like a leaf, gasping, blood lightly trickling from her stomach and thighs. _**(A/N that was sooooooooo awkward for me to write you guys don't even know, I could not go in depth with it…I just… yeah but it was a very important and symbolic scene so I just had to put it in there.) **_

He smirked, stood and looked down at her like she was almost trash. He chuckled sadistically to himself and headed over to the kitchen where he got dressed.

"Minie," he called coldly. There was no response. "Minie?"

"Ye-yes?" she stuttered coming into the kitchen, wincing every time she took a step, she was sweating.

He smirked wider, "I'd like to go back to my actually plane if you don't mind."

She laughed sadly. "I didn't think you'd do me this bad."

"I could have done a whole lot worse. Get me out of here." he said apathetically.

Minie walked over to him, grasped his hand and pulled them down, almost like she was trying to pull them down through the floor. They ended up again back into the normal kitchen and Sasuke was seated on the stool. He smirked and Minie tried but failed to glare at him with her red eyes.

"I should get going; I don't want to be here when _she_ gets down. If you need anything while I'm gone, you know how to get to me." she said.

"I won't be needing anything." he said.

She rolled her eyes and winced as she hurriedly made her way out of the kitchen. Sasuke felt lighter, less stressed and freer. However, he felt guilt inside of him. He'd just fallen into the pit of debauchery, deceiving Sakura even though they weren't together. He felt like he just cheated on her even though she wasn't his, as if he had just disrespected her in the worst way possible though in truth he knew he did nothing wrong. Hadn't he had a threesome only hours before he had gone to get her at the hospital? He pushed his guilt at the back of his mind though. He would deal with that at some other time.

He looked out the kitchen arch and waited for Sakura to come down stairs. She was in a long sleeved white shirt that reached her fingers and her faded blue jeans with her hair caught in a simple pony tail. Since she came here she'd been mostly wearing his clothes. His long sleeved shirts, his shorts, his…everything. He didn't mind but it was time she started getting some things of her own. Ino had told him that Atona had told her that Sakura had nothing at home worth picking up for her to wear. He had to work on that.

"Why don't you wear something short sleeved?" he asked.

She shook her head and unconsciously tugged the sleeves down. She was hiding something under those clothes, he just couldn't really figure out what and or why. He'd seen her in shoulder length things before and her skin was perfectly clear, so what was she hiding underneath it now? He shrugged and left it at that. He pushed the plate of food towards her and the orange juice. She sat at the island and eyed the food.

"You better take those pills and eat." he warned.

She rolled her eyes and with the orange juice took her pills. She sat there and they waited in silence until she picked up the fork and started eating. He leaned back and watched her eat.

"So," she said, "where is it you're taking me after?"

"We'll have to wait and see. Tsunade has to finish checking on you first before I decide if it's safe to take you." he reasoned to himself.

She pushed the plate away after eating half of everything and drinking the entire glass of orange juice. He sighed and cleared her plate for her. She ate so little it bothered him. She wasn't healthy but he knew she was trying to do her best and eat even when she wasn't hungry. He washed his hands, looked at his watched and grabbed his car key.

"Alright, let's go." He said picking up his designer messenger bag that seemed to magically always have what he needed inside of it.

He held out his hand to her and she smiled and took it. Sakura _did_ deserve to be the one and only but he didn't want to promise her something like that and not be able to keep it. He needed sex, he needed lust and desire and even though he felt those things for her, he couldn't take advantage of her so the only way to get it was from others. He wanted her to be his only but she just wasn't ready. He didn't want to take her and then break her heart. He had to sin elsewhere, he couldn't do it with her; she was worth more than that. However, he was going to try. That was his last time. He wasn't going to do it again. He'd just had his last taste. That was it.

She held his hand lightly and they headed down stairs, into the cemented underground garage where he kept his cars. He picked the Mercedes, opened the car door and threw the messenger bag on the back seat. He positioned himself on the hood of the car and drew Sakura between his legs. He ran his fingers through her hair and their eyes locked. There were just so many things about her he could not see in anyone else. He had just, only moments ago had sex with someone yet having her so close made him feel like he hadn't had sex in months, as if the release he was truly searching for hadn't arrived since she was the only one who could give him that.

He had learned to control his urge for her soul, the taste of her blood. That didn't mean he didn't want it, it just meant that he was seeing beyond that. He was seeing her worth more than that.

His fingers smooth over her cheek, running down the side of her neck. She was beautiful. He sighed. He'd never done anything like this before.

"What do you want from me Sakura?" he asked seriously.

She glanced down. He knew she was feelings thing for him but she refused to let herself feel it. She was refusing to admit it no matter how strong it was.

"I…I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. Look at me and be honest." He said, taking her chin and forcing her to look at him. "I'm only asking for the truth."

"What do you want from me?" she countered, her eyes glazed over, her voice rough.

"Nothing." he said simply. "I want nothing from you _but_ you."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm nothing compared to them, I don't feel good enough for you."

"I've never, not once, compared you to them. You're beyond them and their understanding of what I want." He reasoned.

"You have a girlfriend." She said.

He smirked. "I figured that's the problem. Alright, I'll get rid of her and anyone else you want me to get rid of." He said. "Consider it done."

"Sasuke you don't have to-"

"I want you Sakura and you're not going anywhere."

"Sasuke, you don't have to."

"As hard as this will be for me, I will give up everything you need me to in order to have you. Tami is an issue, then consider her gone."

_**Well there you go guys! I just want to wish you a blessed weekend, filled with no drama and all that. have fun, listen to some good music, read a book, get to know yourself a little better and enjoy the holidays! **_

_**Much Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	29. Chapter 29

_Well, HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL! Not really in the best of moods today so I've got nothing to ramble about, sorry guys. But, READ AND ENJOY! ^.^ _

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Twenty Nine]**

Sasuke stood beyond the glass wall and watched as the nurses dealt with Sakura. He couldn't understand how she didn't have a problem with this at all. He'd never seen them test her before until this moment and it was taking a hell of a long time. They had already done the x-rays, tested her blood pressure, weight, temperature, the normal thing. Now she was in a hospital bed, a needle in the back of one hand and another in the wrist of the other. There were three nurses working with her. One was filling different colored test tube like things, of different sizes with Sakura's blood and labeling them. Sasuke could smell it from here, just like he always could and his mouth watered, just like it always did. Even when she would vomit blood, the urge to wipe his fingers through it, to feel the texture and smear it onto his devilish tongue was intense.

The other monitored all the beeping things hooked up to Sakura and scribbled notes on a clip board while the other nurse kept touching things that were hooked up her, changing things…creating all types of annoying beeping sounds. Sakura was conscious and what Tsunade told him was that she couldn't go anywhere but home after this.

Tsunade had asked curiously about what he had done to Sakura's knee to have it back in perfect shape. He hadn't answered her and that had seemed to have greatly bothered her. She had also conceded that Sakura was healing twice as fast as she had expected but Sasuke knew that was only because he had asked Krystal for some help and she'd deemed that one of Kamalpa's own vitamin would do her some good without having any side effects.

Sasuke sighed and turned away from what was happening and went into the waiting room where Ino and Tenten were seated along with Neji and Naruto and Shikamaru. Tenten hadn't wanted to come. Sasuke took a seat next to Naruto. They hadn't heard from him or Sakura in a while. They were worried.

"So dude, it's like I have news that's not going to make you happy."

"Go ahead and talk."

Naruto took a deep breath. "You know how…uh… Keiako-"

"Hell no." Sasuke said his voice a little loud. He looked at Naruto. "Don't tell me she's here. I _cannot _deal with that."

"She's not but word's going around that they're planning to take a visit here soon; that they'll be here for the banquet. You know we don't mind if Karin comes but Keiako will be a problem if she does come here." he said.

Sasuke looked around. "She's not coming here, Karin wouldn't bring her."

"Do you think that's going to stop her?"

"I don't even want to revisit that tragedy." He groaned.

Keiako was this succubus he'd gotten a thing for that had taken a liking to draining the life out of the other girls that liked him. She was obsessive on a whole new level. She had tried to kill Minie and almost everyone woman that looked at him. She had tried to kill Naruto because she didn't like how close they were. That was without mentioning all the other tragic, sick, sadistic and nonsensical things that happened between them. It was the best worst relationship he'd ever been in. The bitch was crazy and he was insane for having a thing for her. It was his fault, he loved girls who came unhinged, they were the most fun.

He tapped Naruto's arm twice and rose from his chair. He started walking down the hall, Naruto behind him. He paused in front of Ino. He fished into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and wrote a check for $15000, handing it to her. She looked at him wide eyed.

"Sakura could use some clothes and I suppose that you're the best person to come to regarding that."

Ino brows furred and she looked at him quizzically. "Is something…is something bothering you? Are you…feeling alright?" she asked randomly.

_Are you referring to me having sex with a woman while Sakura was in my house, then yes, something is deeply bothering me. _He blinked. "No." he said.

"Huh," she said and looked back at the money in her hands. "Sasuke, this is too much money, what am going to buy her, an entire wardrobe or something? She's more than likely going to give everything I buy her to the Red Cross or something." Ino said.

"Just do it." he said. "She needs clothes and you're the one who told me Atona says she hardly has any. I want her to have her own things." He reasoned.

Ino nodded and pushed the check in her purse. "I guess you're right. I guess you two are really in something serious if this is going on." She mumbled. "Don't understand why you're doing that though,"

"What?" Sasuke asked his glare intense.

She met his gaze head on. He knew Ino Yamanaka was the kind of girl who didn't back down. "I said I don't understand why you're doing that to her."

"What I am I doing?"

"Fucking her over, it's pretty obvious." Ino said rolling her eyes. "Well I didn't mean it like _that_. I don't doubt you have feelings for her but it's like, if you really did care about her and want her to have her own things why doesn't she have you for her own? Why are you with still with some other chick who tries to hurt her? It just makes you a hypocrite." She said matter-of-factly.

"I know that."

"And?" Ino prompted. "What are you going to do about it?"

"If you must know my business Ino-"

"I believe I must." She interrupted.

His glare intensified. "By the time I get back in here I will not be with Tami." He said. "Don't worry about her."

"I'm worried about you." she said. "I just don't know why. I feel almost guilty for you." she grumbled pulling something out of her purse and handing it to Tenten.

Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets and headed out of the hospital around to where they had the play ground for the children. It was bare, no one really around there and lonely. Swing sets moved stubbly with the wind and Sasuke took a seat under a tree. Naruto plopped down rather ungracefully next to him.

"What's going on?"

"This really shouldn't be a big deal." He muttered more to himself than to his friend. "It shouldn't be bothering me."

"But?"

"I fucked Minie this morning."

Naruto jumped up and looked at Sasuke like he'd lost his damn mind. "You _what?_" he asked incredulously. "Tell me you're playing with me dude." Sasuke just stared. "You fucked her!? With Sakura there!? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. "It just happened."

"And you feel like shit right? You fucking should you damn bastard! How could you play Sakura-chan like that? Sasuke she's in your damn clothes sleeping in your bed with you and you fuck your maid while she's there?" Naruto asked. "I want to punch you so fucking bad in the face you have no idea. Have you no shame." Naruto growled.

"I'm not with her?" he asked wondering if that was even a right enough answer.

"That's where you're wrong." Naruto argued. "You are with her Sasuke and you know it. You're with her in a way you can't be with anyone else. Couldn't you respect her just a little bit?"

"I do respect her Dobe."

"Yeah, enough to fuck your maid while she's there right?" Naruto laughed sadly. "I was just waiting for something like this to happen."

"Really now?" Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Yes I was." he said, his tone getting serious. "Dude, we all know that Sakura has like no sexual experience at all and we've done every possible thing you can think of. I know that the urge to fuck is there and I know it's hard, I get that dude, it would be unfair if I didn't. I hate to admit it but I get that you were tempted….I know that…I was wondering how you were going to deal with that."

"I can deal."

Naruto looked at him with clear doubt. "Dude, you didn't even last a week." He said.

"I will do it once I'm with her." he reasoned. "I don't plan to rush her or anything. That was the last time. I can handle it."

"You do know you're like going to abstain right?"

"Always pointing out the obvious,"

"I know you want to treat her right Sasuke and I know it seems wrong to be with Tami with this going on between the both you of you but don't make promises you can't keep. You can't just give up animal instincts like that. It's not easy. Don't do it if you know you're going to hurt her. It's best to keep Tami on the side."

"I can't get any closer to her Naruto. Sakura won't let me because she feels like she is the girl on the side. I feel like I'm not showing her how much she's worth. Clearly, but I had chosen the lesser of evils by having sex with Minie, trust me on that."

"No more sex?"

Sasuke blew out a deep breath and started texting on his phone. "My dick is going to hate me for this. Fuck if it doesn't shrink just to piss me off." He grumbled.

"What are you doing?"

"Breaking up with Tami," he said nonchalantly.

"Right now?"

"Mhm."

"Through a text?"

"That's right."

"That's cold."

"I have no soul remember? Cold is what I do." he smirked.

"And what's going to happen with Sakura?"

"I'm going to try talking to her about this again. Make her my girlfriend or something, I can do it." He said more to himself that to Naruto.

"And Minie?"

"There is nothing about Minie Dobe." Sasuke said. "I fucked her and I feel pretty shitty about it. It's not like I can un-fuck her or something."

Naruto glared. "And you're not going to tell sakura?"

"And have this entire thing go down the drain, Again? No." he said. "That was my mistake and she doesn't need to be weighed down with the betrayal of it all."

"You're such an asshole."

Sasuke's phone rang and he answered after the third ring. "Hn?"

"WHAT!? Sasuke you are not breaking up with me! Are you insane!?"

He held the phone from his ears and chuckled as Naruto erupted in laughter. Sasuke smirked. "She definitely got it." he mused hanging up without a word.

He could not change what happened, no matter how much a part of him wanted to. People out there would deny the fact that they too would fall into this trap. They refuse to admit that if it was them, they wouldn't have the strength to even deny Minie the first time. He was no worse than many men and women out there. They acted like lust was so smooth and easy to deny. It was raw and carnal, rough and it sank into a person's flesh like claws. Lust had no emotion attached to it; it was made only of flesh. There were no ties to it unless a person put them there. He refused to take advantage of Sakura and doing what he did, even if people couldn't see it, was him showing his highest respect for her. What he did to Minie he could have never done to it her, _that _would have been the ultimate form of disrespect.

How easy could you give up sex? How long could you give up lust and desire? How strong would you be when it sat right in your lap, running its tongue over you? How easily could you deny the hunger? He knew that if he told Sakura, she would be hurt but he knew she would _never _ask him to give it up for her. People couldn't see from his side and that was fine.

He felt guilty yes, very much so and he wished he didn't give into temptation. He wasn't saying that what he did was 100% right but it wasn't truly 100% wrong either. Yes, he wished he didn't do it but he knew if he didn't get the release now, somewhere down the line when she was too close to him, he would go out a find it. It would be much worse then.

People would be unfair in their judgment if he told anyone else. They wouldn't understand, because clearly they'd never experience a fuck before and the crave and obsessions it bred inside of you. They were liars. They would claim they would never have done what he did, never have gotten into that situation, they would resist but temptation… temptation didn't act on your heart and feelings; it acted on your flesh. And the flesh was hard to deny. What he did, did not mean Sakura meant any less to him, that he saw her any less, wanted her any less, felt for her any less. It meant none of those things because he'd only fucked with his body…he could not do it with his soul, that was left only for her.

He sighed in his mind. He understood Naruto's reaction but he knew Naruto understood. Pleasure and lust –real pleasure and lust-… if you have never experienced it you too would say you would never have done that to her but if you have, you were no position to judge him.

"What'd you say?"

"We're over. I'm tired of you."

"Shit dude." Naruto laughed. "This guilt thing is fucking with you."

"Tell me about it." he said in misery. He rose. "That's all I wanted to say I just couldn't risk Ino hearing. Is something wrong with her?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"She seems…more sympathetic." He mused.

"Maybe we should talk to Shikamaru." He mused. "She has been really moody lately I can tell you that." he said as they headed back inside.

Sasuke held his phone up to Ino as if to give evidence. "Consider her officially, dumped." He said triumphantly.

Ino glanced at Naruto who bobbed his head. "I was there for the whole thing. It was heartless, he didn't even say sorry. Two sentences and it was over. Just six words." He said.

Ino grinned as she looked down the hall. "And here she comes now."

Sasuke turned and there she was. She was pale and she looked tired as she walked towards them. He met her half way and pulled her into his embrace. He _**could **_do this. He _**would **_do this. No one could own him like Sakura could. She was worth more than Minie and any other girl out there. She was the ultimate temptation and if he yielded to others he could never truly have her. He understood that.

"I don't want you to think that I haven't been thinking about this because I have. I don't want you to feel like I'm using you or that I'm a hypocrite and that I lie to you. I want _**you**_ Sakura, no one else." He whispered in her ears so no one could hear. "How about you be my _only_?"

She pulled away and laughed. "What?" her cheeks flushing back to life.

"Do you need me to get on one knee for you right here in this hall to get what I'm really saying?" he asked. "I'm asking you to be my girlfriend."

"W-what about Tami?"

"There is no Tami." He said.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Now she looked completely horrified. "But I'm…we're not…I mean I'm not. You-"

"Yes or no, that's all I'm asking. If you're not ready just say so, be honest."

She gapped at him as everyone stared at them in the hospital hall. He sighed. "Fine I'll get on my knee. Just this once, I'm going to be over dramatic." He said holding her hand and going down on one knee.

Sakura's had flew to her mouth. What in the world was going on in this hospital? Was she dreaming or something? Was he being serious right now? He left her already? Did she miss something seriously important while she was gone? Why would he do something like that? She looked around to see nurses and people in the waiting room looking at them with curious eyes.

"Haruno Sakura will you do me the most poetic honor of becoming my girlfriend?" he asked smoothly and like a magician pulled a Tuscany Superb. She gasped.

"People might think you're proposing to her!" Naruto called.

Sasuke smirked charmingly. "Maybe I am. So what'd you say? Going to give me a chance pretty lady?"

She laughed and took the flower and slipping it into the side of her hair. She nodded laughing. This was so stupid. Could have even said no? Of course not. He stood and smirked. This was weird. It was the first time in a long time he displayed public affection but right there he took her face in his hands and kissed her. This would work. He would make it work. They'd make it. There was literally no other option for them.

_**There you have it! keep the reviews coming, we're so close to 200….sooooo close lol The new years is underway! I hope you guys are ready for it, hope y'all spending the time with the family and reflecting on all the mistakes you made this year that you vow not to make next year! Hope you finally decided that the asshole you've been with doesn't deserve you and that slut you've been seeing really isn't worth your money anymore and get free and get happy. In the times we're living in, the struggles we go through, take my advice**__: __**Happiness Matters. You deserve it no matter what people tell you. **_

_**Endless love, **_

_**D.V**_


	30. Chapter 30

_Everyone we made it to the New Year and the world didn't end? Can you believe that? Shocking really. I was expecting the whole kaboom know what I mean? *sarcasm* _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty]**

Ino grinned. "Listen to this," she says holding Tag Magazine in her hands, "They asked: _Sasuke, all your fans want to know what's going on in your love life. What can you tell us?_ He says, oh my god! Sakura! He said: _Since the start of this new school year I've been smitten for this one girl but I don't plan to put her in the spot light any time soon_. That's you!" Ino almost had a heart attack.

Sakura glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. Why was Ino getting psyched about the magazine? She didn't say anything. She looked back down at the necklace she was making to go with this dress Ino swore she had nothing to go with it.

"Yay?" Sakura asked lamely.

"Why are you not excited? Sakura he's literally your boyfriend now. What's going on?" She asked.

Sakura shrugged. "I just…" she trailed off and sighed. "I don't know Ino."

"You're who he wants Sakura, no one else and you're totally worth it." she said matter of factly. "Moving on to the next question I think I should tell you. Oh shit! Listen to this. They asked them: _Lately there has been a drop in concerts and appearances, why? _And Neji said: _We're just working on strengthening the relationships between us and those who support us and trying our best to have a normal life for a little bit_."

"Mhm," was all Sakura could mumble with a piece of wire between her lips.

"_So tell us, what's the next big thing in stored for your fans? _Sakura, you have to listen to this. Shikamaru said: _we don't want our fans to believe we're not thinking about them, because we are, but right now we actually have nothing in store, we're helping with charities and trying to keep it low, work on our personal lives because that's important too and we've spent so much time with our fans we hardly have time for family. _And Naruto said- oh gosh the idiot actually said something sensible! He said: _Lately we've been busy, forgetting where we come from and the bonds we have with the people we've met recently and otherwise. We're just trying to keep it together since our lives have taken some confusing turns and without all these people we don't know where we'd be so it's just some quality time really coming up, not much media in the mix. _What! Can you believe that?"

"Ino, why are you reading that? You can literally just call Shikamaru," Sakura mumbled taking up the scissors.

"That doesn't mean anything." She insisted. "Besides, I like reading the magazine."

Sakura nodded and flicked a lock of hair out of her face and smiled to herself. It seemed weird and fishy to her; almost unreal. She knew something was wrong she just didn't know what it was and she couldn't explain it but she had this feeling that she'd made a mistake. She wanted to rewind time and say no. That was so unlike him and so… she didn't even know what to think but it seemed wrong and like this had been a bad choice. However, she'd already said yes and she couldn't all of a sudden say no and she didn't want to come off wrong by asking what had brought this one. She had missed something. Something had happened that she just didn't know about that made him do that. He wasn't 'romantic' like that, he wasn't dramatic like that…it just wasn't him. She was afraid.

She had never been with anyone before and she supposed that was also another reason why she wasn't excited. She was trying not to over think things like she felt like she had been doing. Nothing changed suddenly because a title was attached before her name. She couldn't just open up to him about her life all of a sudden. It didn't work that that way. It couldn't work that way. Yes he had gotten rid of her only excuse to not get any closer to him than she already was. She couldn't use the fact that he had a girlfriend against him anymore because –as much of a mistake she felt it was- she was his girlfriend now.

Don't get her wrong now. She liked Sasuke so much she could hardly think around him, she had a connection with him that made her feel like she couldn't breathe if he wasn't around. She wanted him more than she wanted anything but she just didn't think that what led him to ask her something like that was…good. She didn't know if she was really going to regret this and end up like Tami who was probably heartbroken. She didn't want to be one of those girls and that was a reason why she didn't want Sasuke to know her past. She didn't want him to abandon her after knowing the truth. But she didn't think she could live without him and it was better to be with him than without him, despite how she felt about it. They hadn't been together any time at all really, only a day. Maybe every girl had the same doubts like she was having. Maybe Tami and all the girls before her had these same doubts and she wasn't the only one.

It was Saturday and she was spending the day with Ino since they hadn't spent much time together lately with Sasuke taking care of her. He was 'on errands' he had said to her yesterday after the whole escapade in the hospital.

Sakura looked at Ino. "Can I have a shoe with a hard heel?" she asked.

Ino looked at her from above her magazine on which the Sharingan dominated the cover. She raised a brow. "My shoes are expensive," she informed her.

Sakura tried not to roll her eyes. "Ino, don't you want me to finish this for you?"

She got up and found a black stiletto. She handed it to Sakura who used the heel to hit a shell on the table fiercely. She did a thing here and there before holding it up for Ino's inspection. Ino snatched it out of her hands.

"No way!" she almost screamed. "This is perfect! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she said hugging Sakura to almost death.

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Now you have something to wear with the dress, I told you I could do something." She said.

"This is perfect Forehead!" She said putting it on. "Shikamaru isn't going to know what hit him," she purred.

Sakura coughed throatily and got up from the computer chair and fell onto Ino's bed.

"Going to school Monday?" she asked.

"Tsunade says it wouldn't hurt. She doesn't understand how I could get this better in only a week, how my knee is fine and all of that."

"Neither do I and you won't tell me!" Ino joked.

Sakura closed her eyes. Ino didn't know how badly Sakura wished she could but she just couldn't. Sasuke didn't trust her and she couldn't just disregard what he thought like that. She didn't trust Tami and she wouldn't have liked if he told her everything between them. It was only fair but she felt like she was falling short as a best friend. She felt like they weren't really bestfriends anymore because they hardly spent time together since they got here, she's been keeping all sorts of secrets and Ino is just excluded from everything. It wasn't fair for them to come here together and Sakura was just abandoning her.

She knew Ino wouldn't tell her she felt that way because she didn't want to hurt her but she knew that was how she felt. It was unfair to be doing this to her and she wished she didn't have to do any of this. Ino was her everything, they had been everything to each other and it felt like Sakura was leaving her behind.

There was silence until Ino said. "Oh my god, Sakura, I didn't mean it like that honey. Sakura come on, don't feel bad." She said as if could suddenly feel the guilt Sakura felt.

"But it's true." She mumbled, looking at the wall. "Why shouldn't I tell you why I'm perfectly fine?"

"I know you wouldn't keep things from me unless it was best. I'm not mad, honest."

"I am. It's stupid, you're my best friend and I'm not even doing my part."

"You are."

"No I'm not. Don't lie to make me feel better Ino." She grumbled.

Ino sighed and closed the magazine and took her feet from off the wall. She rolled on her stomach. "Let's not talk about that." she reasoned. "We just got here anyways; it's only just, like, the middle of October." She reasoned.

"Yeah I guess so." She said softly.

"Are you and Sasuke going to start going on dates and holding hands?" she asked.

Sakura sighed. "Ino, how am I supposed to know that?"

"Well I mean, you haven't really been being your crazy self around him." She noted.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always timid, shy and all blushy-blushy." She said and Sakura laughed. "You're not comfortable with him like you are with me. You don't do stupid funny stuff and all of that."

"I'm afraid he'll think I'm stupid and not like me anymore."

"Are you kidding me? Sakura he practically lives for you. Seriously, I know all he wants right now is for you to be you 100% around him right now. Give this a shot."

Sakura rolled to look at Ino. "I never said I wasn't…I'm just, you know, new to this that's all." She said smiling.

"He's supposed to pick you up right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, he said so."

Ino looked at her watch. "He'll be here any minute now." she said.

"Thank you for making me nervous Ino."

She grinned. "It's what I live for! Loosen up! This is living!"

"Or that moment when you feel like you're finally living but it's only because death is so close it makes everything better." She said.

"Ok, downer much?" she asked. Ino rolled her eyes then straddled her best friend, pinning her hands at the side of her head. "I demand laughter!" she said. Sakura couldn't help the smile. "LAUGH!" Ino commanded before starting to tickle Sakura like her life depended on it.

Sakura wriggled and wiggled, her laughter bouncing off the walls, her giggles surrounding the place. She pleaded, begging for Ino to stop but she wouldn't. Sakura started tickling Ino and before they knew it was a tickling war happening on the queen size bed.

"And here I was hoping I wouldn't be interrupting anything," a smooth amused voice stated.

Sakura looked up him laughing. She pushed ino off her who laughed and jumped out of the bed. Suddenly, Sakura didn't know if things were supposed to be different and she felt awkward. Well…

"Are you okay?" he asked leaning on the door frame.

She blew out a big breath, closed her eyes and calmed herself down. "Yes." She said.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "Let me just get my bag." She said. She glanced at him.

"I hope you don't mind my intrusion Ino." He said politely.

She shook her head. "You're supposed to come a pick her up anyways. It's fine." She said waving her hand carelessly. She held up the magazine. "Would you please tell Sakura you were talking about her when you did this interview? She totally doesn't believe she was who you were 'smitten' for."

"It was her." He said without batting an eyelash.

He was so cold and blunt sometimes, she felt like his edges were sharp like razors ready to cut. So concise and straight forward sometimes he continued to surprise her. Why didn't he talk to her that way? Granted he was still straight forward but his tone…wasn't _**that **_empty.

"See!" Ino said triumphantly. "I knew he was talking about you!"

Sakura rolled her eyes after pushing some things into her Dora knapsack. "Yes Ino, you were right."

"As I always am." She gloated. She looked at Sasuke. "Get her home safely."

"As I always do." he reasoned.

Sakura slung her bag over her shoulder and Sasuke held his hand out that was surprisingly painted in black nail polish with a series of gothic rings on them. She looked at him almost mortified. He pressed his lips together.

"Don't ask." He said.

"He had a photo-shoot today. It was the rock band look." Ino said.

Sasuke shot her a look. "How in the world do you know that?" he asked.

She grinned. "I'm still a fan you know." she said.

"I thought you were on break." Sakura said.

He nodded. "It was a favor for a friend who is trying to save the world from cancer." He said simply.

"Well are you going to take his hand or not?"

"Oh!" Sakura said flushing. She hadn't even realized. Slowly –she was sure he noticed- she took his hand. Sakura waved at Ino. "Bye Pig."

"Bye Hon," she said mysteriously.

"See you later Ino." Sasuke said.

"Don't feel guilty about past things Sasuke, it hinders your ability to move on without the weights on you." she said sympathetically. She glanced at her and she shrugged. "See you later." She mumbled.

Sasuke led Sakura down the stairs and out of Ino's overly large house and to his waiting black Mercedes S-class. He opened the front door and she got in. He closed the door, got in the car and started the engine.

The car filled with this awkward silence and she couldn't understand why she wouldn't stop blushing. Sasuke didn't try to fill the silence, instead he just drove in that sexy lackadaisical way that he did. That smooth 'I'm so sexy I don't need to drive with both hands' kind of way as he leaned back. She glanced at him and realized that they were not on the way to his house to get her things and take her home.

"Uh…um, S-sa-"

"So you stutter around me now?" he mused, glancing at her with black eyes.

She flushed and her eyes hardened. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see."

She groaned. "No surprises."

"I swear." He replied.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

"Can you say something?" she asked, glancing at him. "This silence is making me nervous."

He glanced at her. "Don't worry, I'll start talking soon." He said turning off and entering the park.

He started driving through the paved road until it was a dirt road, trees lining each side. Her brows creased. She'd been here before. Memory rushed back to the night she was walking with him for what felt like forever in the dead of the night through a place looking just like this until they turned off and went to the garden. She knew where they were headed. She glanced at him but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking dead a head.

The silence was almost painful and set her heart beating too fast in her chest. Were things going to change now? Was he going to start expecting things from her now? He wasn't even talking with her like he usually did when they were in the car together. She didn't know what he had up his sleeve.

People came to these deep parts of the place to get away and be alone with each other but Sakura didn't think people ventured as deep as Sasuke would be taking her. He pulled over and got out of the car. Flakily she hurried to lose her seatbelt and stumbled out of the car. From the trunk Sasuke leaned over and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you nervous or something?" he asked.

She flushed. "I have no idea why."

"Neither do I. We've slept in the same bed together." He said shrugging. He took out a picnic basket that was so full it couldn't even close properly. He held it up for her to see it. "This is what we'll be doing today." He said shutting the trunk. "Let's go." He said, taking her hand and tangling their fingers.

She looked at their fingers. "This is for real?" she blurted before she could catch herself after what felt like a life time of silence.

"I would believe so." He said putting the basket on the floor and stooping. "Get on."

"What?"

"If I keep walking at your pace, we'll never get to Almarkham. Get on." He said.

Hesitantly she got onto his back, wrapped her arms and legs around him and he stood. He held the basket and casually but swiftly he started walking.

"Don't let go." He warned.

She smiled. "Uh, I'm trying not to." She said sarcastically.

"I'm glaring at you right now, you just can't see it." he informed her.

She laughed and held on to him tighter. "How do you walk so fast?"

"Would you like to know a secret?" he asked cutting off the track and wading through the trees.

She nodded but realized he couldn't see it. "Sure."

"I'm not human Sakura, I'm a Demon which automatically makes me just that much more awesome than you human beings." She laughed. "That is why I walk so fast and faster if I like but I'm scared to death I'll end up making you nauseated and I'm not in the mood to hold your hair while you vomit." He said.

She flushed. "That's hardly my fault."

"You're sick, I'm fully aware." He replied. "And for the sole fact of saying, I also have wings which enables me to fly."

"Wings?"

"Yes. And no, not the kinds that angels have. It's nothing nearly that pretty or fairytale like."

"Then what kind-"

"Possibly the kind that they have when they fall and burn in a cross fire. It's more on the grotesque side of things." He replied coldly reaching Almarkham. "It's a long story and that's actually not what I want to talk to you about." he said helping her to her feet.

From the basket he sat down and she sat down across from him. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you prepared to see what's in the basket?" he asked mysteriously.

She tried not to laugh. "Am I ready?"

"It's hard to tell but I'm going to show you regardless." He said.

He pulled out a pint of some sloshing liquid that had the craziest colour she'd ever seen. Then three containers with the weirdest things she'd ever looked at. Sakura held up a container and looked at it. What color was this thing? It wasn't a color she'd never seen; it was too dark and eerie…too weird.

"What is this thing?"

"Food."

"This is not food." Sakura said.

He smirked. "My food." He replied. "You'll like it. Grab a fork from the basket and give it a try,"

"It makes me feel queasy."

He shrugged. "It's not that bad." He said trying to coax her.

He was on his phone then he glanced at her. He raised an eyebrow and she took a deep breath before getting a fork and having a taste. It was…foreign. There was no way to describe it. It was solid and smooth and it felt like it exploded in her tongue but it was cool. It was delicious though but it felt as if her taste buds were incapable of deciphering all the flavors. As if the flavors were too much, too different; too alien.

Sasuke straightened. "So listen to me…as I talk." He said swallowing. He cracked his neck and leaned back, resting on his elbows. He sighed. "Sakura, I know I'm your first boyfriend and I also know it's only been a day. However; I just don't want you to get into this with me without knowing what you're in for. Granted you're free to change your mind any time you want to."

She smiled. "More than I'm already in for?"

He didn't smirk. He was dead serious. "On a different note but yes."

"Okay." She said submissively.

A deep part of her didn't want to talk about this. Yes, it had only been a day but this was such a different kind of relationship Sasuke was doing the right thing but letting her know what to expect right? However she still didn't want to talk about it, it seemed too soon like it was adding too much seriousness to their already serious relationship.

He took a deep breath and tried to not let that part of him that could gash fire get the chance. He could last; he could make this work. He could be faithful to her but he had to let her know what she was in for. She could back out anytime.

"Sakura, I'm not going to match up to par with your expectations and I don't want you to set your standards too high. You praise me too much as it is; you're naive to what people tell you and to what's really in front of you. Somewhere down the line what I can offer you will not be enough. This has happened in _all _my relationships, even with Tami. I don't talk enough, I don't feel enough, I don't-" he paused for a second and held her gaze as she listened intently to him, "I don't love enough." He finished.

Silence stretched between them as she looked everywhere but at him. He gave her a moment to really take in what he was saying to her.

"I'm not going to be that boyfriend I'm sure you've dreamed of. It will be hard for you to deal with how cold I can be sometimes. But I _can't _change and you'll probably get bored of me." He said lightly.

She raised her head and nodded once very slowly like what he was saying was settling with her. She wiped the corners of her mouth with her fingers and glanced down before pushing all the things between them to the side. On her hands and knees she made her way to sit beside him. For a long while she didn't say anything and he felt as if it was an invasion of privacy to fill the void of rich silence.

Unexpectedly she took his hand and started observing his long, smooth, clean fingers. She fiddled with the skull ring on his finger and tilted her head to the side with a light yet extremely meaningful sigh. Idly she started tracing patterns along his palm.

"Maybe you know someone who can see the future." She said distantly. "But I don't and I don't want to know. Maybe you know something terrible that I don't know that might happen to us but I don't want to know about it. I really don't want the weight of negativity and uncertainty any heavier on me when it comes to you. I don't want to think about it. I don't expect anything from you Sasuke and I won't ask for anything you can't give me." she said finally.

He was silent as he looked up.

"Do you want this to work Sasuke?" she asked.

"I do."

"Then it will. I don't want you to change," she added tangling their hands. "I just-" she broke off.

"Just what?"

"I don't want down the road to realize I gave everything I had to a stranger. I just want to know you. Yes, a part of me wants to rewind this and change it but… it makes sense to be with you and give this a try." she whispered looking at their tangled hands.

"Then it's only fair that I get to know you too."

She looked at him confused. "But you do know me."

He shook his head. "You don't let me see what's behind your eyes. I know you as much as everyone else but I want to know you more than that."

She looked down. Then in that sense she didn't know him either. He was much a stranger to her as she was to him. She didn't know of his past like he didn't know of hers. He didn't know the other life she had led and she didn't know his.

"I know it makes me a hypocrite to ask that of you when I'm not sure I'll be able to do the same. But I promise you'll know me more than the rest."

"So, this is uh, official?" she asked. "I can like say, 'Ino, my boyfriend is almost here, stop forcing me to watch you put on thousands of dresses'?" she asked.

His lips quirked up. "Yes, you can literally say that if you want to." He admitted.

She looked up. "So what do we do now?" she asked.

His hands engulfed her and pulled her down on the grass with him. "We talk about random things I guess."

"Why do I have to go first?" she demanded.

"Fine. I'll go first. Hmmm. What should I tell you? When I was younger I hated my current mother and I never spent time with her. I had tried to kill her more than once." He said.

She tensed. "I don't like talking when I wake up because my mouth tastes bitter and I don't want to poison anyone." She said.

He chuckled. "I hate reading stupid books."

"I like sleeping in hours and dreaming of nothing." she whispered.

"I hate wet knobs and counters."

"I love animals."

"I _hate_ cotton candy." He said.

"I _love_ cotton candy."

He pulled Sakura over until she was lying flat onto of him. She rested her head on her hands on his chest as she looked at him with a smile.

"I don't particularly like the day time."

She smiled and her eyes cast down to his chest. "I'm afraid of being used or betrayed by the people I trust." She said.

"I'm afraid of falling in love." He admitted biting back his pride before it severed his head.

"I love gardens."

"I hate suffocating fan-girls."

"I like watching the sunset."

"I hate incompetent people."

"I like helping other people, like at hospitals or in homes."

"I hate being out of control."

"I like the way the sun hits your eyes and sinks into them." She said abruptly but Sasuke didn't miss a beat.

"I hate terrible vehicles that are very expensive."

Somewhere panged at how easily he brushed what she said off. She too didn't miss a beat in talking.

"I love the smell of rain hitting hot asphalt on a long day."

"I hate conceited women who are consumed by vanity."

She smiled warmly. "Is there anything that you actually like Sasuke?" she inquired.

He smirked. "I like the color of your hair even though I hate pink." He said. "That is something I like."

She flushed. "Anything else?"

"I like tomatoes."

"And?"

"I like staying up at night and watch the stars vanish away into dawn." He said.

"Anything else?"

"Sakura I really don't like that many things and I think it's against the rules to use you as one thing I like." He said.

"Nothing else?"

"Hardly anything else Sakura I assure you." he reasoned. "Just the same, isn't there anything that you actually _don't _like?" he asked.

"Not that many things."

"Sakura, not everyone is going to like everything." He soothed.

She sighed. The silence that followed was long and he had a feeling that this was strangely a big step for her.

"I hate hospitals and I hate being sick."

"And?"

"I hate not being able to forget and let go my past. I hate that it follows me everywhere."

"And?"

"I hate not being good enough no matter how hard I try, know what I mean?"

He started running his hands through her hair, loving the feel of her warm body on top of his, the rise and fall of her chest…the beating of her heart. With any other girl this would be a sexual thing but it just wasn't with her this time. Her eyes were so green, this hypnotizing light and shining green. It was like the sea, finally open to him for the first time allowing him to almost dive in and drown in them. He sat up this time and she adjusted so that he was trapped between her legs as she sat down on him her hands on his shoulders. She ran a hand through his bangs.

They stared at each other for a long time. Sakura hoped this wasn't a mistake she was making and she hoped that she would get more answers as to what was going on between them. She didn't want to regret this. Since she got here Sasuke had been in her life and it felt like so long ago. It felt like she had been here for years with him and she knew him on a level nobody needed to explain. She just didn't want this to be a teen drama and she didn't want to cop out. She had the strangest feeling though that even if she wanted to turn back that she couldn't. She felt like everything had already been written in stone.

_**Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all the best this year and that you accomplish all you couldn't last year, that you're motivated more than you were last year and that you believe more in yourself more this year. You are all beautiful people who can do anything you put your mind to, yes you and all you need is someone to tell you so I'm telling you. Do your best and aim for the stars! **_

_**Wishing you an exceptional year, **_

_**D.V**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**WELCOME!**__ Here we are again! Yes, I know I have been gone for a while, trust me I know. School is like really crazy right now with my final exams in a couple months (what most people call SAT's it's just not called that where I live) and I'm broke and life sucks, know what I mean? Also, chapters will be coming really slow, not just because of school but because I'm at the complicated part of the story now. Part II holds a whole array of things and I'm trying to write it so you guys don't get confused and all that. So it's taking a while because there is so much to write and explain now so it's taking me a while. However, I will try to move as fast as possible guys, honestly I promise so don't give up on me or hold out on those reviews. Okay, enough rambling! Teehee!_

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer amongst other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty One]**

She wanted to let go of his hand, turn around and run screaming for the hills. He held her hand in an iron grip and he had to literally be forcing her feet to move. All eyes were on her- on their tangled hands as they walked. She tried not to look at them, to look at the floor but they were boring holes into her clothes. She felt their judging eyes; their 'you're not good enough for Sasuke' eyes; their 'you took someone else's boyfriend' eyes; their 'you're such a skank and slut' eyes. She felt them; there was no way she couldn't.

Even though she was walking with Sasuke and everyone else she felt naked and unmasked. She felt unprotected and like a freak show. _Everyone _was staring at her. Her heart fluttered and the back of her neck started to sweat. She couldn't function when she was under such high scrutiny. She couldn't function when people were staring, she couldn't do it. She felt like they were looking at her skin without the concealer and cover-ups. She felt like they were seeing her scars and into her life. She felt like they were seeing things she couldn't bear to show anyone.

She wanted him to let go of her hand so badly, to acknowledge the stares and realize his mistake. She wanted him to change his mind about her and just let go. But he didn't, instead he squeezed her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

She wanted to cry. She knew she was a cry baby but there was so much confrontation towards her it frightened her. She didn't want to be the center of attention and she didn't want everyone –people whom she hadn't even met- to hate her. She didn't want to be a bad person but when she was here she felt like a villain.

"Breathe Sakura, breathe." he whispered in her ear, stopping in the middle of the hall. He stood in front of her then, holding both her hands. "Relax and breathe."

She nodded.

"You're fine."

She nodded again. "Relax and breathe." She repeated to herself.

He nodded and they started down the hall again, her eyes on the floor counting her footsteps like she was always used to doing. She held on to his hand for dear life, praying now that he didn't let go. He thought she could do this, that's why he was still holding her hand. She could do it.

Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji in front of them stopped. Sasuke paused and Sakura stumbled for a second. She looked up and became horrified. Tami was marching towards them, rage consuming her, almost choking her. She looked so beautiful even in her anger with her eyes on fire. Tami was gorgeous and as angry as she seemed, Sakura knew heartbreak when she saw it and Tami was heartbroken.

Sasuke stood there and waited for her to pause in front of them. She moved until she was directly in Sakura's face. Sasuke smoothly stood in front of her.

"Don't even think about it." he said in a hard voice.

"What did this fucking whoring slut do to you!?" she screamed, waving her hands wildly, her beautiful face becoming contorted. "Sasuke we're meant for each other. You don't mean what you said! You couldn't possibly mean it!"

"I do mean it."

Sakura flinched and tried to squirm out of his hand but he wouldn't let her. She wasn't going anywhere. She got the message. So instead she stood there wishing she could sink away into the floor. She wished it would just open and swallow her and never spit her out. Her first day back at school and it was like a nightmare that she was causing.

"Sasuke-" she broke off to release the sobs of desperation, "you don't want to do this! What hell does she have that I don't? Sasuke you're going to regret this! What about the amazing months we spent together? Please, come on don't do this. She isn't worth more than everything that we built. You know that I love you with everything that I have."

He just shrugged. "We're finished Tami."

"Sasuke she's a manipulative bitch! She's a fucking whoring slut and you're choosing wrong by keeping her and not me! Don't you see it? She's blinding you with her stupid pink hair! You're choosing some ragged bimbo over me? She's been trying to break us up from she got here and you're letting her. Sasuke you're letting her ruin us. She's nothing compared to-"

Sasuke held his hand up in finality. "Tami, this is over between us. Finished. I would also appreciate it if you would watch your language when you categorize her, your words so far have not fallen into my favor. Now if that is all, we all have a class we need to get to."

"But Sasu-"

"That's code for MOVE BITCH!" Ino sneered brushing past Tami like it was nobody's business.

Tami stood there, unable to understand that this was reality. Sakura's eyes dwindled about the place and she squeezed Sasuke's hand on reflex when the dark, evil eyes of Atona graced her presence. She looked at Sakura letting the message go across that she would regret this.

Sasuke turned his neck to look at her. "Everything okay?" he asked.

She nodded even though it wasn't. He looked back at Tami before sighing and walking around her traumatized frame with Sakura tailing behind him.

"See this is why I don't particularly like getting into relationships and unfortunately a girlfriend was always necessary to prevent disastrous scandals from forming." He commented to her once she was next to him. "Things end dramatically. A quiet breakup with some peace really isn't much to ask for."

"She's going to kill me."

"That's insinuating that I will allow her to kill you, which obviously I won't." he mused.

She smiled as they walked into class the second the bell rang and headed to their seats. It was Monday and they all had math together. Sasuke drew his bench over to Sakura's until they touched and he smirked when she looked at him.

"What?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Uh…um nothing. Is this a new thing?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked casually as he sat down.

"Are you going to write songs about me now, love letters and follow me everywhere I go?" she teased.

He chuckled. "I mean, if that's what you want you've surely given me a lot to do." he mused.

"This is so weird for me." she mumbled as their math teacher and home-room teacher walked in.

"Mhm," he mumbled pressing keys on his phone. "Promise me that _if_ –as unlikely and almost impossible as it is- we break up or something you don't threaten my life." he said.

"What?"

Sasuke stretched his phone out so Sakura could read what it said. She leaned back, almost horrified. She glanced at Sasuke -who only nodded solemnly- then back at the phone.

"Oh my God." She whispered.

"That's not the words I'd have used but let's go with that." He agreed.

Tami was now threatening to kill him, cut off his balls and keep his body in her closet shrine. What in the world was that? Who said something like that? He couldn't help but wonder about women like this. He knew Tami was in love with him, honestly he understood that but he was doing right by both women if people tended to look at it that way. He wasn't cheating on Tami anymore and she could find someone else and it didn't look like he was stringing Sakura along. Tami would get over this. She was a big girl.

It was like everything changed but everything was the same if that made any sense at all. He was still the same person, he treated her the same old way as he usually did but the air between them was different. It was lighter, less clothed; the air was naked between them now, everything freer and easier to move about. Sakura knew he was expecting some depth from her now, the kind of depth she didn't talk about; the depth of her past.

She wondered if she should tell him about the pains she'd been feeling in her chest since last week but she didn't want to. She didn't want to make problems from something that was perfectly fine. She didn't think it was anything but it felt like she was…drowning some times. She found it painful to sleep on her back, it was more comfortable on her side but even that was starting to feel uncomfortable like her lungs were filling up. She shook it off; it was probably her stupid asthma wanting to be noticed.

He walked her to her next class and at lunch time for what felt like the first time she was sitting at the table with all of them and _everyone _was watching them. She felt completely uneasy as she sat there listening to Ino babble on and on about some new store she discovered with the most amazing purses and shoes.

"Ino, you don't have enough space to put anything else." Sakura objected playing with her food.

"What do you mean I don't have any more space? All I need to do is put another self on the wall and I have enough space for five more pairs." She said, hitting Shikamaru's hand away from her food. "Besides, there is no such thing as too much shoes."

"Actually there is when you think about it." Tenten said with a smile. "How about you give that money to the poor?" she asked.

"And then buy the shoes?" Ino teased. "No but I'm serious, they have the cutest things." She insisted.

Sakura moved her food around the tray without interest. She felt bile rise in her throat just looking at the gunk. She swallowed it back down and tried not to make a face as she did so. She had taken the medication and so she was eating food but the lunch looked completely unappetizing to her, she felt like if she took another bite she would vomit for real.

"I don't need shoes."

"Damn right, not after all of that shit Ino bought you." Tenten said.

"Oh please, Sakura had some chick come over and pick them up for some stupid orphanage. She's in dire need of some shit." Ino said.

"Wait, you did what?" Sasuke asked looking at her with a raised eye brow.

Sakura glanced up at Ino who laughed. "Oops."

"It's nothing." She mumbled.

"You gave them all away? Are you serious? You threw my money out the window like that?" he asked incredulously.

"Sasuke, I don't need any more things, I have all I need. I didn't throw it out the window; I gave it to the needy." She insisted.

"That's not the point," He said.

She looked at him. "Then what is the point?"

"Don't get smart with me,"

She smiled. "I'm fine honestly, besides, the needy could use them more than I ever could." She said pushing her tray away and making a face.

"Is everything alright Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

She nodded and coughed. "Of course."

"It's the food right?" Naruto said. "I know, it's not the nicest thing trust me. Here have some of my romen, it's not that bad." He said pushing his bowl towards her.

She took one look at the bowl and her hands flew to her mouth. How could the cafeteria make food like this to give to people's children? It should be illegal. How did Naruto even eat it? Her eyes widened as she felt the bile rise up her throat. She really wasn't in the mood to vomit but whether she was in the mood or not, she was going to.

Sakura practically jumped from her seat and hurriedly fled the cafeteria. The bathroom was too far away; she burst through an emergency exit and puked next to the steps. Her head spun as she held her stomach as the lunch she had tried to eat found its way back up. Great.

She rested her hands on her knees and took deep breaths, the whole act of vomiting tiring. She was tired of this. She leaned back and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and turned to make her way up the stairs. She stumbled back to see Hinata standing at the top of the stairs, looking at her almost ominously. Sakura tried but failed to smile.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Sakura nodded. "Just some bad food," She lied making her way to the stairs. She leaned on the wall taking deep breaths.

"Ah, the cafeteria." She said in understanding. "On some days their food tends to be like that, I should have warned you." she said holding the doors opened.

She followed Sakura to the bathroom where she washed her hands and washed out her mouth. Hinata handed her a mint which she took gratefully.

"Hinata,"

"Yes?" she asked looking at her innocently with her heavenly eyes.

Sakura could never really explain the cold that always surrounded Hinata. Her skin crawled from the sudden chill.

"You're hardly ever around." She mumbled.

She smiled. "No Sakura, it's the other way around. You're hardly ever here." she said in that lily pad of a voice. "If I can add correctly, you've missed almost two and a half weeks of school since you've been here, which is a lot." She said.

"I guess you're right about that too," she said as they headed to the cafeteria. "Why don't you sit with us?" she asked.

"I rather sit by myself on most days." She replied. "Well, here is your stop." she laughed pushing the doors open. "It's funny how we meet up with each other under these kind of circumstances. I hope your ulcers heal." She said tenderly after Sakura entered the cafeteria.

Her head whipped around but Hinata was already walking down the halls and away from the cafeteria. She watched her beautiful hair sway at her luscious and thick hips as she moved as gracefully as a swan. How did she-? Sakura shook her head and made her way back to her seat, trying her hardest to not be taken down by the mountain of eyes following her every move. She could pin point Atona's eyes and Tami's eyes separately as they bore holes into her body. She took a seat at the table and this time Sasuke was not sitting across from her but next to her.

His hand dropped around her shoulder as he pulled her to him, her head resting on him so he could speak in her ears.

"Is everything alright?"

"It was just the food." She said.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, just the food…" she said coughing nastily.

"Aren't you guys just cute." Naruto said with a wide grin.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sakura coughed again which turned into a slight wheeze. "Sasuke, why doesn't Hinata sit with us?" she asked softly.

He glanced at her and shrugged. "She can't handle it." he said.

"It's easier for her if she doesn't sit with all of us at the same time." Neji said.

Sakura nodded, leaving it alone. She felt a bit guilty on the inside that she was sitting alone every time. It felt like the sudden realization was haunting her and spreading like a disease in her head. She knew very little about Hinata and what she did know was fairly weird. Before today the last time they saw each other was out on the spectator benches where she had some sort of weird prophecy and they day she and Sasuke had gotten into a disagreement. Every time they saw each other it was in weird situations like that. She pouted her lips.

"Neji are you alright?" Ino asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ino asked again.

He raised an eyebrow. "I would believe so." He mused. "Is there a reason why you ask?"

Ino held her head before shaking. "I don't- I don't know. It's going to be okay," she said locking eyes with him, "she'll come around I promise."

He looked at her quizzically. "What?" Then it dawned on him and he sighed. He glanced at Shikamaru. "What's happening to her?" he asked.

He shrugged. "Hell if I knew," he mumbled, "she's been like that for some time now."

"What?" Ino asked. "Did I say something?"

"No you didn't, relax." Shikamaru said, preventing her from getting all defensive.

"It's just that you've been really…compassionate and understanding lately." Neji noted.

"Aren't I always like that?"

Sasuke couldn't prevent himself from scoffing. "Don't fool yourself."

She cut him a glare. "What he means Ino," Naruto interrupted, "is that you've just been… _more_, you know what I mean? Like you know what we're feeling before we're really feeling it. Like you get us even when we haven't said anything." he said.

"Is that weird?" she asked self conscious.

"Pretty weird." Naruto agreed.

She looked around. "Is something wrong with me?"

"Possibly." Neji said.

"What?!" she freaked.

Shikamaru sighed. "Don't listen to him, he's pulling your buttons." He said lazily. "You're just getting softer."

"Lying won't get you anywhere Nara." Sasuke mocked.

"Wait, hold on! What am I missing?" Ino demanded.

"He's saying something is fucking wrong with you." Sasuke said glancing at Sakura with an 'oops' look on his face.

"He doesn't mean it that way." Sakura said hastily rubbing Ino's arm before cutting Sasuke a 'don't you dare test her like that again' stare and he chuckled under her gaze.

Ino sighed. "Well I mean it's true when I think about." she admitted looking at Tenten. "Sometimes I feel just things which I wouldn't normally feel and I just know it's not coming from me and I just know what's going on. I think it's my nose for people's business getting stronger, it's an important asset."

"Or you could be turning into an Empath." Naruto said stuffing his mouth with romen. Sasuke shot him a glare and his mouth hung open. "Right, we're not _that_ group of friends yet." he mumbled.

Tenten spoke, for the first time in what seemed to be a long time and addressed Naruto. "What do you mean we're not that kind of friends yet?"

He eyed his food and shrugged. "We're just not that close with each other yet. We got lots of secrets." was all he said.

"You don't believe in that stuff do you?" she asked.

"We believe what we see," Neji said, "We're those kinds of people." He said icily and cut a glare at Tenten.

Sakura sat there holding her breath as the thought lingered on her a little bit too long. Was that even possible? She'd known Ino all her life; Ino was never more inapt with people's feelings more than anyone else. She was normal, perfectly fine so that wasn't possible was it? But Sasuke had told her that everything was possible in the world she'd walked into.

She knew she was probably over thinking things because since the day started, that's all she'd been able to do. with all the stares flustering her, her mind was just racing and of course she was over thinking. Of course Ino wasn't an Empath. So why did his statement linger in her mind?

Tenten matched his glare head on. "I've noticed." She almost snarled.

He rolled his eyes at her and stood. "I'll be taking my leave now," he mumbled and looked at Ino with hard eyes, "And if you would care to know, I believe you are wrong. As you can _clearly _see." He seethed pushing his hands into his pockets and walking away from the table, anger radiating calmly from him.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked.

"Tenten hasn't been speaking to Neji remember?" Shikamaru asked, trying to remind him.

A light bulb went off in his head. "Why haven't you been talking to him Tennie?" Naruto asked in his usually warm and sweet voice.

She shrugged. "It's complicated." She mumbled.

"And you know it's really not," Ino said annoyed and callously, "it's pretty simple and you should just stop feeding yourself all these negative thoughts. It's overbearing for me to deal with. You're perfectly good enough for him and he wants you, it's clear in his eyes and you want him too. Stop saying he's using you 'cause he's really not."

Tenten blinked. "I never told you that." she said.

Ino blinked. "Sure you did Tenten, how would I know that?"

"I never said a thing like that you, ever. Are you kidding me?"

"Am I wrong?" Ino demanded. Tenten was silent. "I didn't think so either. Stop giving him such a hard time, pretty soon he's going to give up on you if you keep letting him think his efforts are in vain."

"Tenten, are you sure you've never told Ino that?" Shikamaru asked curiously. She nodded. "And Ino you're sure that's how she feels?"

"I swear on my life, it's fact not an opinion. I _know_ she feels that way."

Naruto leaned back, laughed his happy raspy beautiful laugh and scratched the back of his neck boyishly. "Am I the only one seeing what's going here?" he asked grinning.

Sasuke let out a long, wary sigh with Shikamaru. "I'll look into it." Shikamaru said.

"We're going to be _that _kind of group aren't we?" he asked, excited.

"It sure as hell looks like it." Sasuke said, clearly not happy with becoming all friendly and personal with them.

~O~

Sakura sat at the neat desk in her room and used her inhaler as she felt the asthma attack creeping up on her. She coughed uncontrollably. Her cough was wet and humid, thick and sickly. She leaned back in her chair and gazed down at her literature essay homework she was doing. She was just finished.

She found the book to be very violent in its metaphors, symbolism and even the plot. It stunned her that the school allowed them to use such a book but oddly, she liked it because it was very well written and very captivating. It took on many different themes, emotions and literary devices. It was a brutally beautiful book.

It was called _Hazel Hawks _which was about a woman who finds herself lost on what is believed to be an island. She falls in treacherous love with the worshipped Mountain Manticore who embodies the spirits and Nature gods. She ends up consulting a witch doctor on the island, pleading to be bound to this manticore on the mountain of Hipologorur in body, soul and essence. Thereafter, the manticore- Vascar- admits to deceiving and tricking her and she ends up being mauled to death by his many children born in sin by the women before her. Her spirit returns to him and she is bound to live as his slave for the rest of her life to bare his children, unable to leave Vacar and his terrible, violent treatment of her in the life of the spirits.

She coughed and wiped her nose. She was supposed to write an essay speaking about the consequences of Sychli's (the woman) actions for love and how this affected her perspective on what living and love truly is at the end. Her hands were tired from writing and she was having a mild headache –thank god it wasn't a migraine- but she was finished and that made her happy.

She was dreading Atona when she came home but surprisingly all she had done was glare at her and nothing more. That had somewhat made Sakura even more nervous because she knew worse was yet to come. She didn't think she was ready for it and she had no idea what Atona was scheming no matter how much she wished she did. She opened up her window after her coughing and wheezing had mildly subsided. The fresh air would be good for her. Why was her asthma getting so crazy on her?

She went into her bathroom, washed her face and for what seemed like the first time, she actually looked up from her hands and at her reflection. Sakura avoided looking at herself as much as possible. There was nothing worse than being disgusted with yourself. Nothing was worse than that she'd heard a young girl say one day in the hospital and she was right. Sakura didn't look into tinted windows, she didn't look in mirrors to comb her hair and she looked at her hands when she washed her them in the sink. She didn't like what she saw.

For some reason she thought this time would be different. That finally having someone like Sasuke by her side would make her see something different but pain sliced through her heart at realizing she had once again been wrong. Nothing had changed. She still looked the same and her opinions were the same if not harsher. The pain made Sakura's breath hitch and her vision come out of focus. She coughed nastily and swallowed. She just stood there and stared, wondering when something was going to happen and the glass would shatter from the tension.

She shook her head and walked out of the bathroom and snuggled under the covers of her sheet. She was still cold from the inside out. Her mind travelled to lunch today, to Ino and she worried. Something was going on that she didn't know about and that bothered her. She didn't want Ino to be dragged into this, whatever it was but was there anything she could actually do? She didn't know.

_Sasuke._ Her mind stilled at the thought of him, everything weighing her down lifted and her skin warmed. Where would they take it from here? Would they act like everything was fine? Would all the secrets between them still stay hidden? She wished she knew the answers to all the questions she asked herself but she never did. Not once.

Sighing she closed her eyes remembering something Hinata had said to her –what felt like- an eternity ago.

_When the sun comes to rest, shadows shall awaken from the darkest chest and reveal complexity of ice from another. Adjoining power to power and losing the life of one that shall fuse with heaven up under the night and the chest of darkness will come to light._

She didn't understand why she remembered that but she did and it seemed oddly important; too important for her to forget after ever hearing it. She snuggled deeper in her bed as the fluttering of the curtain made her stiffen.

A bad feeling washed over her. A terrible feeling as if something was coming. Her heart started racing, drumming her ears and fear snaked around her, trailing her spine making the hairs on her neck stand on end. She shivered from the bone chilling cold of something dark. She leaned over and switched on her beside lamp. There was nothing, only the light flapping of the short curtain at the window. She didn't feel alone in her room. Her neck prickled. She shook it off, took a deep breath and before she knew it, she was harshly dragged into dreamland where nightmares awaited her.

_Sakura sat there with tears like acid falling from her eyes, her hands tingling from gripping the rug too tight. His eyes weren't angry but they were hard and callous. _

_Her mother crying with a kind of pain back then she was too young to understand and too old now to remember the cause of it. She couldn't remember what happened before to cause this to happen. This was one of the very first memories she actually remembered having. Only snippets of her young ages between birth and seven could she really remember. Now, the gaps were like blank walls._

"_Just do it! Please! I want my baby back!" she cried running up the stairs. _

_She chewed her bottom lips as the screams welled in her chest. The screams that would never leave her mouth, the confessions she was too afraid to confess and the fright she was too afraid to try and cast away. Only dread washed over her, shaking her heart, letting it quake with terror. _

_He looked at her, a look worse than his angry eyes. They looked pained. So much pain they could gash fire. This was the first time they'd ever been like this to her. The first time to follow many times after. She'd never even told Ino about this after it happened because she didn't think she wanted to accept it. _

_There were two men in the yard and one woman. She was tall and sleek, big breasts, hips to kill with lips tainted with sin. Her smile was glorious and radiated with sexuality. She was in a short, tight pencil black skirt with a split at the side and a black camisole that showed her beautiful breasts. Her eyes were a painfully dark scarlet and her hair frighteningly black, swaying at her waist in its seductive waves. She was beautiful and looked…to radiate femininity. _

"_Don't treat her so gruff." She purred. _

_Sakura's father released her effortlessly and looked at them. "You knew you'd win didn't you?" he growled. _

"_Of course we did." she smiled. "We never bet even with the slightest chance of losing. I don't know why you thought this time would be different. She's even prettier than her mother. We did you both a favor, please don't forget that. We're doing you a favor right now as we speak." The woman said sweetly, her voice rolling with pleasurable delight. _

"_What are you going to do?"_

"_It doesn't matter; you already lost your child. She's ours for the night to do as we like. She'll be like the daughter of your dreams when she gets back." A man behind her said his voice deep. His hair was tied in a black pony tail. He was very handsome in a black cloak with red clouds on them, his eyes black like midnight._

_Sakura looked up at her father with horrific eyes. He'd waged her? He'd used her as money in a bet? Was she that insignificant? _

"_Please, don't let me go with them!" she bawled. _

"_Oh, Come here darling," she cooed, stooping to the floor to engulf Sakura in her arms. "Don't you worry; you'll come home to daddy soon." _

"_Don't hurt me!"_

"_I'm sorry dear, but we just can't make such promises." She said pouting. She ran her fingers through her hair. "We're saving you. I wish it didn't have to be this way." She said apologetically, pulling Sakura to her feet. _

_She was only seven then with big eyes. This was where her memories started; she couldn't remember many things in her life before this time. It was like they had wiped chunks of her memories away that night. Their hands tangled and she looked at Sakura lovingly. _

"_Are we ready?" Asked the other man. _

"_Indeed we are." She said practically dragging Sakura out of the house and into a black car._

_The next thing Sakura knew was that she was in a normal sized house, in the dining room being told by the tall woman to have a seat. She stood there. _

"_What are you going to do?"_

"_Nothing we weren't told." She purred, flipping her hair. "Don't worry darling, the pain will be over before you know it and for a long time, you won't remember a __**thing**_. _Please child, have a seat._ Now." _she said icily._

_Trembling Sakura sat and the man in the pony tail glanced at her with his expressionless face. "She is indeed beautiful."_

"_Tell me about it." The other said leaning back. _

"_And she's all ours. Honey, you can close your eyes, you can try to forget anything that sticks but just don't forget this pretty face. When you dream about this moment again, it's a sign that __**you will be seeing me again very soon**__." She promised. _

Sakura shot up with a startling scream, gasping, coughing and wheezing. She clutched her chest as tears threaded down her cheeks. Fear gripped her so hard her other hand flew to her head. She was gasping, the world closing in on her and not enough air coming in. She grabbed her inhaler instantly, using it before she panicked. But she was afraid, the fear of the nightmare giving cold sweat.

She'd spent months forcing herself to forget that ever happened to her. She'd pushed that into a dark place she'd never go and for so long it left her alone. She wiped her face with the back on her hand and looked around in sadness. Why did she have to remember that? Her heart ached and her head fell in her hands as the tears came rushing in, shaking her to her core.

She couldn't go back to those dark days; she couldn't handle accepting those truths. She didn't want to remember that. She would have preferred they had raped her than what they had done. What they had done…was… terrible. The pain was never ending that night, it felt like when she was going through a phase from Sasuke's soul except it hurt a million times more and she just couldn't go unconscious. She refused to remember it but the snippets just kept coming like waves hitting her against the rocks relentlessly, hardly giving her time to breathe. Her hands struggled to pull herself up but she just couldn't, it was so hard.

Sniffing she leaned over and turned on her lamp just as there was a gust of wind blew in through her window. Light illuminated near her and Sasuke's hand covered her mouth.

"Don't. Scream." He whispered slowly before releasing her.

She looked up at him wide eyed. "What are you doing here?" she sniffed.

"You're crying." He said. "You called for me." he said taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

She only looked at him with her running eyes. She couldn't bring herself to say anything else, it wasn't possible. Then before she knew what happened, her body barreled into him, holding onto him as if the past would rip her from her own body. His hands held tightly onto her.

She bawled. "I don't want to remember this." she said as it clawed at her flesh.

He nodded before stiffening. When he spoke it wasn't what she hoped to hear. "Who was in here with you before I got here?"

"No-one." She sobbed.

"No, someone was here. I can _smell _him on you." he whispered in a cold tone. His hands trailed down her spine like the fear she had felt before going to bed. "He touched you here," Sasuke said before dropping his hands. "Are you sure no one was in here with you?"

She nodded in his chest.

He sighed and his hands smoothed through her hair. "I'm not going anywhere. You're safe."

_**And there you have it! I hope you guys aren't disappointed with this chapter and if you are, I AM SO SORRY. **__** I am also sorry for the long wait but don't worry, an exceptionally long chapter await you guys. I'm almost finished with it. HOPE YOU GUYS ARE STAYING POSTIVE DESPITE LIFE'S CHALLENGES –I KNOW LIFE TAKES PLEASURE IN FUCKING PEOPLE IN THE ASS BUT YOU JUST SHOULDN'T LET IT. DON'T GIVE UP, STAY STRONG, LOVE YOURSELF AND AIM FOR THE STARS. ONLY YOU STAND IN YOUR WAY AND ONLY YOU CAN STOP YOURSELF FROM ACHEIVEING YOUR DREAMS! dReAm It tHeN cReAtE It. **_

_**Boundless love,**_

_**D.V**_


	32. Part II: Chapter 32

_**WELCOME!**__ Well my mock exams have started which is like Pre-*insert whatever major final exams you do in high school where ever you live before you graduate grade12* So I'm studying like really hard. However, I got lazy today and I decided that it's safe to upload this chapter so, this is my March 5, 2013 gift to you! How awesome of me right? Hope you guys enjoy it and tell me what you think._

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

Part II

**[Chapter Thirty Two]**

It was lunch and Sakura was sitting with Sasuke and everyone else. She wasn't saying much but instead listening to what everyone else was talking about. She kept telling herself that she was fine and that being happy was a choice but for the first time in her entire life, she just couldn't fool herself so well. She hadn't gotten much sleep lately because she'd decided that she just couldn't keep going through that over and over again. The nightmares were leaving scar tissue that was killing her and every second it felt like she was going to have a panic attack or something.

Each day to get up was harder, more of a dreaded task and she felt drained and tired. Sick of herself and her mind. Exhausted with the constant assaults everything she'd been through kept throwing at her, she got no time to breathe and just for a second be a normal person. Every second was a nightmare of the unknown and the nightmares…no, the memories that were coming back to her now were too horrific. She was afraid of herself. Slowly the walls were cracking and with each new day she was starting to realize the flaws in the complete and absolute lie she was living.

Sasuke touched her arm and simultaneously she snatched her hand from him, his cold touch too much for her to handle. Her eyes flickered to his nervously, hoping she didn't seem too jumpy. She forced a smile and this time, it was truly, truly forced.

He tilted his head to one side and looked at her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded and her smile widened. "Yeah, I'm just tired."

He could tell she was lying, he could always tell when she was lying. Her smile faltered only for a second before she shrugged and looked away. Sakura didn't want to accept who she truly was, she didn't want to accept the pain lurking around inside of her, she didn't want to accept the sadness, the self loath and her past. She wanted to be the person she pretended to be. She wanted to be this girl so badly. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling to prevent tears from falling. She was getting worse and she didn't want to talk to anyone about it because then she would have to accept that this entire thing was real. She didn't want it to be real.

Her emerald eyes darted around the cafeteria, at the laughing kids stuffing their face with their friends. It was happening at her own table, everyone was talking and laughing. She picked at her food before coughing. She tugged at the sleeves of her wide plaid shirt that stopped at her fingers. She liked when they were long to her fingers and she could hold onto them.

It had been a week since she was with Sasuke and it wasn't as hard as she thought it would have been. Nobody tried to kill her or something like that but she knew that they wanted to. The Sasuke Fan Club was downright mean and Atona was up to something, she just didn't know what it was.

She liked having him with her though no matter the consequences, she loved knowing that Sasuke was here for her. It was almost as if this was their one week anniversary but it was short lived because she knew he had news to give her. His break was over and she had no idea how busy he would be. She'd never been with a famous person, he was her first boyfriend. She didn't know the rules to being a girlfriend. She was new to this arena.

"Sakura?"

She looked up and locked eye with Tenten. "Yeah?"

"How did you get that on your neck?" She asked curiously.

Her hands flew to the scar on her neck and instantly she spread her hair around it. "Uh I-"

"She fell through a window like the klutz she is." Ino supplied saving her.

Sakura smiled. Right that was the lie she'd been petitioned to tell. It was the same thing she had told Sasuke when he'd asked if memory served her right. That seemed like such a long time ago. She stopped putting on the concealers and the one on her neck was thick, a little too hard to hide anyways. She scolded herself though for not remembering its tragic presence.

"Yeah, it was a long time ago." She said softly.

"Damn, a window. Shit that must have hurt," Naruto said stuffing him face.

She looked at him and smiled solemnly. "It wasn't that bad."

After all it wasn't since she hadn't fallen through a window. She didn't like thinking about it, not that any logical person would. She didn't like to think –purposely- about all her imperfections noticeable to the naked eye and remembering how she got them. The only truth in the story was that yes, glass had cut her but it was the glass from a lamp when her body had collided into it. She was close to having a vein sliced that day.

Sasuke's hand appeared in her field of vision, holding an apple.

"Eat." He instructed.

She glanced at him almost meekly and smiled. "Are you sure you don't want it?" she teased.

He cut a glance at her and his lips quivered in an effort not to smirk. "Just take it."

Without qualms she took it from him and took a big bite. She knew Sasuke noticed how she'd been acting lately. Since he had come to her house that night when she had the nightmare, she hadn't seemed very comfortable with him touching her all the time. It's not that she hated it but when her mind got the best of her like now, when he touched her –even though his hands were dry- it just felt wet, sticky and sickening on her skin. She didn't like it.

She was almost through with the apple when the doors banged open and Atona walked in. Behind her there was a crew of people from probably the technology club with a projector, a VCR or something like that. She clapped her hands and everyone watched her as she made her way to the front of the cafeteria.

Sakura looked with new found interest.

"Hey guys!" she screamed happily. "So the Sasuke Fan Club and I decided that today, we're going to give you guys a little movie to watch. Take it as our gift to you. It's a treat which all fans of the Sharingan -who you know don't the like the sudden turn of the globe- will thoroughly enjoy. This is a little illegal but who really gives a fuck right? Movie it is?" she asked, her eyes lighted and for a second Sakura's eyes and hers collided and made four.

Atona shifted her gaze instantly as if Sakura wasn't even worth the gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe. Honestly, Sakura didn't mind that. She preferred being invisible than noticed for all her wrong doings and the negative things she'd been known for. She was happy that Atona didn't seem to care about her anymore.

A majority of the cafeteria cheered and she smiled popping the cassette in and quickly –along with the team behind her- positioned the projector to a clear wall to the in the cafeteria. Silence reigned as the light dimmed from closing most of the windows and turning off some of the lights.

"What the hell is she doing?" Tenten whispered. "Is she allowed to do this?"

"She's up to something that's what." Ino almost seethed. "I hate the bitch."

"Most people do." Tenten said.

Sakura ate her apple and just watched, wondering what movie Atona was going to show them. As they started setting up Sakura stood to go and throw the apple seed into the bin when noise blared and the clip started.

"I'm actually excited to see. Movies are nice." She whispered with a small smile.

She turned to face the wall, playing with the seed in her hand as she waited for the clip to start. There was just a moment. Just a pause as if the world had stopped, time has slowed to give her a longer time to acknowledge what the clip was showing. The seed fell from her hand as Sakura stared at the wall, cemented into the floor and completely horrified.

She was standing in the middle of her living room, combing brush in hand with the green Mad Hatter hat her mother had bought her when she was little and singing her lungs out. she was screeching out the lyrics of I Wish You Were Here, purposely making her voice sound terrible because it wasn't about singing abilities this video, it was about fun. Her father held the camera for her. This was done back in her home town when she was round fifteen years old and she was doing this as an effort to reach out to her mother in the mental home. They said it would do her good to watch a clip of them being healthy and happy and encouraging her betterment- which Sakura knew was never possible. She was faking everything there. She was faking the smiles, the laughter but the need and desire for it to be real, to pretend everything was perfect was true and for that moment she had basked in their perfectness. She was scared to death in this video because she didn't want to mess up but she did. She remembered this because as good as this video had started; it ended with her having to be rushed to the ER.

She had kept this tape because it reminded her of the relationship she and her father had actually had once upon a time. It reminded her that everything wasn't so bad when they were actually a family and he treated her well and never hated her. She never went passed around two minutes in the video after she stopped singing and started talking her rehearsed lines and she'd messed it up. The camera had fell but it stayed on and it caught most of the assault that resulted. She strongly believed that her father wouldn't have reacted that way –and if he had, that it wouldn't have been so bad- if he hadn't been drinking and taking some drugs that said morning. Had Atona watched the entire thing? Did she see that part? How did she even get this? She had left this in her suitcase in the back of her closet.

Her stomach dropped. It embarrassed her and made her hurt inside to watch this but that wasn't what bothered her the most. She didn't want people to see her father beat the living crap out of her. She didn't want people to know that. It was so pathetic and embarrassing. It showed just how weak and insufficient she really was and she didn't want people to know what happened in closed of her home. She didn't want people to know the truth.

She herself didn't want to know that but she couldn't say anything. She couldn't move she couldn't speak; she could hardly even breathe as she stood there. Almost everyone was laughing, looking at her then back at the film. Their laughter was judgmental, harsh and sharp. She stood there transfixed. This wasn't happening. She shook her head once, no. This. Was. Not. Happening to her.

"_And what do you have to say to Mom now?" Her father asked shifting the camera a little bit. His voice was a slow, sleepy drawl._

_Sakura grinned. "I want to say Mum, even after everything I still love you and dad and I miss you very much!"_

"_Sakura, that's not what you're supposed to say." He said. _

_Her smile fluttered. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "Uh, what I want to say is that we miss you, love you and even though you see us here it's not the same without you and the wonderful dishes you made?" she asked, not remembering exactly what she should actually be saying._

She remembered the medication she had been on during that time and for some months that followed had been affecting her memory quite significantly. It helped with her health but they had to take her off it since it was preventing her from keeping anything at all in her 'short term' memory.

_He'd only told her what to say one time and it was a very long speech that she couldn't possibly have remembered upon hearing it just once. She'd tried rehearsing it in her head but she kept forgetting. She thought that summarizing it wouldn't be a bad thing. The clip wasn't allowed to be very long anyways._

"_Do you think this is funny?" He asked angrily. "Don't upset me." his voice sounded distant, hidden away in alcohol and some illegal rush. _

_Her eyes fluttered around almost. "Let me try again."_

"_You better remember."_

"_I think I do dad." She mumbled. "Uh, Mom, it's been a while but… we love and miss you and wish you the best. This home is… hallow without you… and all the things you used to do, the food you used to make…" Her mind froze then, trying desperately to remember the rest of her lines. _

"_Sakura it's your fault she's in this fucking place to begin with! You couldn't bother to learn the fucking lines?!"_

The camera dropped and it was like fear so strong gave her voice back only for a fraction of a second.

"Oh God no," she whispered backing away from the table.

The angle of everything changed and it looked pretty jack but when his hand slapped her smack against her face, the cafeteria fell silent. Joke was over. Sakura heard her own scream before anyone did from the projector. She shook her head, her hair swaying around her. No, she wasn't seeing this. His hands gripped her hair and her body was thrown the floor. He was talking but right now she couldn't hear a thing around her.

Her friends were just as shocked as her. Every sat there, mouth opened. It was Sasuke that shifted their attention when his hand slammed down on the table with such force it broke in two. He rose and his glare was intense as it settled on Atona.

"You have three seconds to shut that off." He said.

But she was already fumbling with it to turn it off, her face stricken. Hadn't she seen that part?

_Her father's foot connected with her stomach before he stooped to her level and grabbed her by the collar. "Do you think this is funny!" his fist blatantly connected with her face._

"_I'm sorry!" She screamed her voice a high shrill. _

_This was the video and soon everyone would see it. They'd all know she lied. He gripped her hair and like a rag doll tossed her into the nightstand, her hand flying and hitting it over. Unintentionally her head hit the floor. She pushed herself up, her asthma acting up, her wheezing panicked. Her messy bun was worse and blood flowed from her neck. Her hands flew to her neck and one hand to her chest, her eyes rolling over. _

"_Get up." he commanded. _

"One."

"_I-I-" she wheezed, too much blood leaving her neck. _

"Sasuke-kun I'm trying!"

"Two." His voice was Darkness entangled in the bed sheets with Death.

"Three." Everything on the cart splintered in one swift hit on the cart, the cassette player and the projector. "I'd advise you to leave. Now." he said his face hard as stone.

Girls that were seated were crying, tears streaking their faces, still looking at the wall horrified.

Then Sakura just ran as fast as she could. She ran as if someone was after her, the fastest she'd ever ran in her entire life straight out of the cafeteria. This couldn't possibly be real. In an instant a tornado uprooted in her heart, tearing everything to shreds inside her body as she fled.

Sasuke turned to go after her but Ino's voice ran out quickly and all too suddenly, killing the back breaking silence in the cafeteria.

"Sasuke don't go!" Ino screamed.

He stopped and looked back at Ino as Atona struggled to pick up the splintered pieces of equipment at their feet hurriedly, her eyes welling with tears.

Ino's hands flew to her mouth as she started bawling. "How could people do this!? Why would people do this to me? What is wrong with me?!" She screamed. "What did I do?!"

For a second there was complete silence, not even the slush of water from the time in the womb played in the music of life. There was complete silence as Ino's eyes seemed to dilate and she blinked, almost as if for a moment in time she was possessed.

He stood and stared at her. Everyone's eyes were on her. Her body vibrated from her head to her toes and her eyes weren't hers anymore. Tears flowed faster as she started storming out of the cafeteria as if she was caught in tangled bed sheets with insanity.

"Every time! Every single time! Everything I do is wrong and selfish and stupid! Nothing that I do is right no matter where I go! Nobody wants anything to do with me; no one wants to love me! Am I that horrible?" She barked, rage turning her face completely red as she banged through the doors.

Five eyes connected with each other before they trailed after her, confusion on all their faces. What? What had just gotten into her?. By the time they were out of the cafeteria Ino was nowhere to be seen but she could be heard. Her loud bawling was prominent, echoing off the walls. Her sobs sounded so agonizing, so raw and filled with redness that it was unbearable to hear.

"What the hell has gotten into her?" Tenten mumbled. "And where did Sakura go? What the heck is going on?"

"That, we're about to find out." Sasuke said tight lipped. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that his life was going to get ten times more complicated than it already was.

Shikamaru took the corner and sure enough Ino was on the floor, huddled in a corner crying agonizingly with her head in her hands. Her breathing was ragged as she gripped her hair, her skin flaming red like that of blood.

"Ino-"

"Why!" Ino bawled looking up at all of them, her eyes broken like a dam and desperately trying to find the answers to every single question she could have ever asked. It was nowhere to been on their faces and she shattered once more. "I try so hard _not_ to be the person he says I am but maybe he's right, maybe I'm just some selfish leech! I don't want to take you away from your amazing girlfriend; I don't want you to leave _that _for _this _because everyone knows I'm not worth it. I'm not worthy of anything Sasuke, not even a dime in your stupid pocket and that's the truth! I can't do anything on my own and everyone hates me no matter what I do. Everyone is out to get me! How bad of a person am I that nobody wants me around? I don't want people to keep doing this to me. I just…" her head fell in her hands.

Everyone looked at each other. "Uh…what?" Naruto asked with his brows furred. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't really think it is Ino talking." Neji said as they all looked at her, no one knowing how to approach her. What in Kami's name was this?

Tenten stooped to the floor and ran her hands through Ino's hair sympathetically. "Ino, everything is going to be alright, no matter what it is." She said smoothly.

"Nothing is okay and it never will be! There is no such thing as 'okay'! _It doesn't exist!_ It's an unfathomable state of mind that does not exist or coexist in this sufferable time! Don't you see!? My own mother tried to kill me and my father hates me! He's tried to get rid of me more times than I count! I have to sit and say my name over and over again because I don't even know who I am anymore!"

"Sasuke, I think you need to go to Sakura, this doesn't look particularly good." Shikamaru said gently pulling a shocked Tenten from in front of Ino.

"What's going on?"

"If I knew I would tell you. I think Sakura's own emotions are overwhelming her…possessing her as a separate entity." He said taking Ino's face in his hands. "Who are you then?" he asked Ino, holding out a hand to Sasuke telling him to wait just a second before went to Sakura. Ino shook her head, wiping her face with her shaking hands. "Tell me who I'm looking at right now. Who are _you_?"

She took a deep, ragged breath. She kept covering her face and crying unable to control herself. Her breathing panicked as she constantly ran her fingers through her hair. When she started rambling it was like she was talking to herself more than to him. Trying to convince herself instead of him.

"I'm Sakura Haruno and I go to Kano…I'm Sakura Har-" she paused to sob a little. He just watched. She took a deep breath. "I'm Sakura Haruno and I go to Kanoha High. I want to be a doctor and save people and I want to have kids who love me and I want a husband and I want Ino and I to still be friends. I'm Sakura Haruno and my mother and father _did _love me. I don't care what anybody says, they _did love me! _My mother did care about it…. it couldn't all be a lie…_ it couldn't have been. What am I saying! __**Of course it was all a LIE!**__" _She broke away, lost before sniffing. "I like reading and paint. I like…I used to sing." She wailed. It was a pained cry. "Oh my God, I used to sing!"

Shikamaru took a deep breath. "Go Sasuke, you have to get Sakura out of here as quick as you can." He said. "Something is terribly wrong. Go."

"I'll make sure no one comes this way." Naruto said instantly.

"Should I go?" Tenten asked, unable to even fathom what was going on.

"No," Neji said almost a little too quickly. "We need you to stay here for Ino." He added.

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair, over his face before letting out a long breath. He turned and almost too quickly disappeared from their very sight. He had a feeling where she was; lately he always did even without keeping tabs on her. He just…knew. He didn't have to think twice about where his body was taking him when he ended under the bleachers of the football field. He saw her, sitting perfectly still with her legs crossed. Her eyes were empty and hollow as they looked directly ahead of her, into what was partial darkness under the seats.

Her tears had stopped. She looked too clam, too emotionless in that moment. Something that didn't click in his mind before suddenly did and started working. So Ino was feeling what Sakura was? _Or was she accepting something that Sakura wasn't?_

Cautiously he made his way to her and sat down next to her. Silently she rested her head in his lap and looked up. Not once did her lifeless eyes meet his.

"One time," she began a hoarse voice, "I used to paint and sing." She mumbled. She did a wet, humid cough a couple times before wiping her mouth. She shifted on him a little.

He knew he should take her away from here. Being as close to Ino as she was they didn't particularly know what's going on. Clearly he could put two and two together and realize that whatever gift Ino suddenly had was growing tenfold. However, he had a feeling that a bomb was going to drop and it was necessary. He knew if he told Sakura they had to leave, it wouldn't explode and it needed to explode to destroy everything negative around it. He would wait. Ino would have to wait. Shikamaru would have to wait.

She let out a long breath. "My mother is in a mental home on the out skirts of my last town. She had tried to kill me twice. My parents are divorced because of that partially and he blames me for her being taken away. He has a temper, has never liked me after my mother left but I know it's not his fault. Love can change people in the worst way and I had caused him so much pain. We were making a home video to send to her to let her know that we're encouraging her to get better, we love and miss her and we think of her all the time. As you must have seen, mistakes were not optional." She said in a dead panned voice.

His stomach churned nastily. His mind had put a few things together but not as much as she had just said. To hear the words leave her mouth felt as if she dosed him in acid. His stomach dropped and felt hard. For what felt like the first time in his life, Sasuke thought he might actually be sick.

"Sakura…" he trailed off. He didn't really know what to say.

She smiled faintly. "I was in the hospital for a while. I had never wanted to do the video but I thought it made me selfish if I didn't. She won't ever get better and I know that. He just can't believe it. He won't let her go. It won't change, I am hurt by what has happened and I didn't want to revisit those times with her but I had no choice. He told me that I _had _to do it." she said cracking a smile.

"You just let him hit you?" he asked incredulously fighting the urge to either punch something or vomit.

"He's my father."

"That doesn't give him a right to put his hands on you."

She looked at him innocently and it was at that moment in time he realized just how messed up in the head Sakura really was.

"I think it does." She said simply.

_**Well there you guys have it! Hope you liked it and that you'll keep reading and I hope that I didn't disappoint you. When is the next chapter you say? I have no clue when I'll update. Hopefully before the month is through I'll be able to do something. I don't want you guys to lose interest. HAVE A WONDERFUL MONTH MY ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL READERS, LOVE, LIVE, LAUGH AND FORGIVE. TRY HARD AND TRY SOMETHING NEW! BREATHE EASY, EVEN WHEN TIMES ARE HARD! XD**_

_**PS: Seriously and this is no joke, if you ever need someone to talk to, even to ramble on and express yourself, I am just a PM away. I know not everyone who reads my story has a perfect life so yeah. :) **_

_**Always loving you guys,**_

_**D.V**_


	33. Chapter 33

_So it's like shit just got real in my life but I'm here guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter. I have my final exams that decide the rest of my future in a month and I am like, shitting my pants here. Pray for me, if you're religious. Otherwise, hope for me or wish me luck or whatever it is you usually do. _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty Three]**

Sakura sat in the car and noticed that out front a black Mercedes was parked there. She glanced at Sasuke for a moment but he looked straight ahead. She patted his arm lightly. He needed comfort more than she did.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to come home with me?" He asked again, his eyes shimmering.

She nodded and smiled. It was so sweet that he actually cared. He needed the consolation more than anyone else she presumed. "I'll be fine. I don't really think it can get much worse. Don't worry." she assured getting out of the car. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yes." He said.

Her eyes soften. "Don't worry about me Sasuke. Please."

He looked at her and sighed. "If it was actually that easy. If you need anything just call." He said. "Now get inside, it's pretty late." He said.

She nodded, smiled and turned. Sakura made her way to the house and glanced at the parked car. The windows were tinted but she could see the silhouette of a person. She made her to the door and let herself inside as she was known for doing. There was shouting. A lot of shouting. Sakura walked and stopped at the last step and tried to take in the scene before her.

Atona was crying mascara running down her cheeks as Rin stood there, hands on her hips looking strong and firm. Rin looked completely and absolutely furious.

"I don't want a witch in my house!" She said fiercely. "There is absolutely no excuse for what's been going on."

"Mom I'm sorry!"

"I don't care what you have to say." Rin sighed. "Atona, I know since your father went on his trip things have been a little lonesome. I thought that's why you've been acting up and I left you alone because I thought I understood but I wonder now if _you _understand. I miss your father just as much as you do and I see my fault. Your father's absence is no reason to be acting this way! What would have me do? Tell him to stop working to support us and stay home all day with us, robbing him of his dream? Would you like me to do that? Is that the picture you've been trying to send me, that I should drag him home?"

"Mom-"

"Atona, how could you do such things?" she asked. "Are you the only one entitled to happiness around here? Answer me young lady!"

"No mom, I'm not. I know I'm not the only one."

"Then why the hell did the principal called me this afternoon telling me about your bulling of other peers and this incident that happened with Sakura this morning? _Who do you think you are_? I never raised a bully in my house and I never raised a girl so low to do all these stupid things for a boy who, as far as I can tell, is _not_ interest in you. What do you hope to accomplish by being a hooligan around the place? Do you believe a man is going to want a girl that acts like this? Where is your pride and dignity? Where have you gone little girl?" She ran her hands through her hair. "I've never been this ashamed in my entire life. Where is my daughter because I know I'm not looking at her right now."

"Mom I didn't know that was on the video!"

"That's not the point!" she said shouted, her voice dangerously loud. "That is _not _the point! Don't be stupid! How dare you try to embarrass your own flesh and blood like that? The intent is there and what you tried to accomplished is there and the lives you have purposely ruined! Whether you know what was on that tape or not is irrelevant. What matters is that _you knew what you were doing and you chose to do it. _Have you no shame!? And for a boy! A boy no less! A boy! Your grandparents are turning in their graves!"

"Mom…please…" She sobbed, her body shaking as she ran her hand nervously through her hair. "Please believe me, I'm sorry."

"You're bullying children at school and putting your hands on them. Who told you that you could do something as vile as that? I know it was never me. I know that you think I have no backbone but I surely am about to change your mind because this has got to stop. You're chasing a boy instead of your education! You've become such a letdown and a joke Atona I honestly cannot believe it. You're a beautiful girl and once upon a time you had the cleanest of hearts. This boy you're chasing after is already taken and I'm sure if he wanted you Atona, you would have him. Any man would be lucky to have the girl you once were but not every man is made _for you._ He's no different from any other man in this world. He will age, he likes the same things boys like, he goes to school like regular boys, _stop being so vein chasing fame_."

"I'm sorry!" she turned to sakura, her eyes broken almost. "I'm sorry! I didn't know! I didn't know! Sakura you have to believe me that I never knew."

Sakura stood there and simply stared at her as if she was looking right at a brick wall. She stared at Atona as if she was a simple motionless object that had caught her attention for no reason. It felt as if her mind couldn't register that Atona was speaking to her. Her words were meaningless…boundless…empty.

She turned to her mother. "I'll do anything mom! Anything! I'm sorry please don't make me go!"

"You're not staying here like this. You better get your suitcase and get out of this house right now into your cousin's car. I don't want you back here until you've learnt a lesson. _I _will make sure you learn a lesson."

"Please!" Atona begged, the tears soaking her blouse.

Rin shook her head. "No Atona, no. I will not let you keep walking down this disgusting, shameful road. You will be taught no matter the cost. There are repercussions for your actions and you will have to pay them. This will not go under the rug. If I had ever known this was going on, I would have handled this from the start. Get out!" she said pointing to the door.

"But-"

"Your cousin is waiting. Get going. Right now." Rin said not batting an eyelash. "Measures need to be taken, I want no bully in this house. Go, the door is that way." She said pointing.

There was that sound of finality in her voice that even Sakura hadn't mistaken. She'd never seen Rin this stern before and she'd never seen Atona shed a tear. She seemed so strong and fearless yet here she was. Atona took up her suitcase that was behind her and with a pleading look, locked eyes with Rin. Rin didn't falter; she was like a strong pillar unshaken. She raised a cold eyebrow at her daughter.

Atona nodded and brushing past Sakura, walked out of the house silently closing the door behind her. At the clicking of the door, Rin fell back into the couch, head in her hands.

"Sakura dear, I'm so sorry about what has happened today. Believe me, I'm working on fixing this terrible child of mine. I cannot believe she's been so barbaric to you, right under my nose and you didn't even say anything." She looked up. "Come honey and sit next to me. We need to have a little chat."

Sakura hesitated for a moment before going down and taking a seat. "You didn't have to do that." she mumbled.

Rin looked at her with hard eyes. "Oh no young lady, you need to fix yourself let me tell you right this minute. This isn't going to work. You need to _toughen_ up. Don't you dare pick up for her, you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am."

Rin nodded. "Good. Sakura why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you go to anyone about all of this?" she asked.

Sakura sighed and shrugged. "I thought it was better to leave it be, least things got more complicated. I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

"Honey, you have to understand the meaning of burden in this world. You're no less than anyone in this world and you keep putting yourself in danger. How do you think this makes me feel to know you've been getting hurt because of my daughter right in this home?" she asked softly. "I'm supposed to protect you, whatever load you have I'm supposed to carry it. That's how this works, I'm the adult here, I worry about burdens, you don't." she ran her hand lovingly through Sakura's hair.

She looked down, knotting her hands together. "I just…"

"I know you don't even know what to say right now. A lot of things are wrong with this picture that I need to start fixing. This is partially my fault for not knowing things I should have known. Sakura, I didn't know your mother was in a mental home… I didn't know about the video, I didn't know about what happened between you and your father and as the guardian here I should have made it my duty to know what was going on with you before you even got here."

"It was long ago."

"It doesn't matter how long ago it was. What matters is that it has _happened._ I've called the school, I've called Tsunade, I've called your therapist, I've talked to Ino and then I called your father and after looking up the number for the mental facility I called them too."

Sakura shot her a frightened look. "You called him?"

Rin nodded. "You bet your two cents I called him." She said. "I need to know where you stand, where Atona stands and as the people living in this house where we stand together. Things are going to change around here because we can't continue like this. Sakura you need to understand that we care about you and when something is wrong, you need to come to me, you can't do it on your own. Look where that keeps getting you?" she said.

She sighed.

"I know you're getting help but you need our support in this. This is your home. We are a family. Now, I've been told what's going on with you from the various phone calls I've made. I had a lengthy call with your father and I'm sorry I've been ignorant to all these things. I haven't been in touch with you and your family for the longest while since I moved here; I've missed all these horrible times. I can't be your mother Sakura, not the one you knew from inside your heart but I can be a mother for you just the same. I am here for you." she assured her.

"Thank you Rin." Sakura choked.

"Now, your father and I had a talk and I drilled some things out of him. He told me about the divorce, the court hearings and the times you- he didn't tell me everything but he told me enough for me to get what was going on. I cannot believe they both did that you, you had to go through that all alone. All you've ever been told as a child were all these things, no wonder you're so soft and downgrade yourself. That's the only thing you've ever known." Rin sighed. "Your father has told me he's trying to get help and all these things and before you say they're not true. I will be the judge of that. Next weekend, not this one but the one coming after this weekend, I will make a trip right to his house for a while. Now I don't want you to come, least things haven't really changed. And we honey, we just need to sit and talk. I need you to talk to me."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't want to talk about all those things." She said.

"I know and it doesn't have to be about that but we need to spend time together. You need me and I have to be here. I didn't take you in for you to still be on your own. Tell me what happened after the video? Where did you go?"

"Sasuke took me to the park."

She nodded. "Ah the famous Sasuke; the rich, well renowned one. I should have known he was trouble. How long have you two been seeing each other?" she asked. Sakura remained silent and Rin laughed. "Honey I got my first boyfriend when I was fourteen, please. I know how this works I might be old now but I was young once. Trust me."

Sakura didn't want to laugh but she couldn't help it. She looked at Rin and sighed. "We've been…talking since school started but we didn't get together until a week ago."

"And how is that going?"

"I don't know."

"I think I should be the judge of that too. What happened when you went to the park?"

She smiled. "He just stayed with me under the tree and listen to me ramble for hours and he got me something to eat. I was…I _am_ in a rough state right now." She conceded.

"And he treats you right?"

She nodded.

"It's settled then, he comes for dinner Friday night." Rin said smiling.

"Wait what?"

"Well why shouldn't he?" Rin asked. "Alright so I might become a little nosey as of now but you have to understand you've forced me to be such with your secrets around here with your sick self. Now I need to meet what kind of boy he is, I need to see where he stands with you and where he's planning to take this. And no Sakura, I see it in your eyes; I would never demand you both to break up. You young-lovers wouldn't listen to me anyways; I can tell by the way your eyes practically pops out with hearts." She laughed patting her arm and rising.

"Where has Atona gone?"

"Truth be told I hardly even know. Her uncle Kaminiyon was in the military, very strict family, no daughter's only sons who he also trains as they go to school. I told him that his cousin is in dire need of some strict, back breaking, tear-streaking faced discipline and to not bring her back here until she's gotten that. I suppose he's brought her to his house around twenty minutes away from here."

"Will she be okay?"

"She probably won't be for a week or two. But, it's the right thing to do. I don't want my darling to keep on this road, it can't work. I want to be a good parent and I've been lacking. Also, I can't have her father gone for so long only to come back and be greeted with this. Oh no." She shook her head. "We'll it's me and you here now honey, I hope you don't mind."

Sakura shook her head and smiled. "Not at all."

"Good, now maybe you should go fresh up while I fix us some dinner."

"I'm not really hungry. I ate already." She said.

Rin smiled. "And you're tired right? I should have known. Then go to bed honey."

Sakura sighed inwardly and after exchanging a few more words with Rin made way to her room. She'd never been so tired inward and out, down to her soul was exhausted with everything. She wasn't mad at Atona; she didn't have the energy to be. She didn't have the energy to be hurt, to be in sorrow. It was like Atona's cut didn't have enough space to sink in. It hurt yes but Sakura just didn't care. It happened. She cried. It was over. She'd get on with what life she had left. Simple. No qualm about the whole ordeal like Sasuke was making it out to be. It was alright. There was no other choice.

She opened her door and switched on the light. She hadn't made her bed that morning but it was made now and on it was a card and a Tuscany Superb neatly in the center. She tried not to roll her eyes. Was it wrong that she was too tired for this?

She picked up the envelope which proved to be an invitation. She opened it and stared. She was being invited to the Nebulous Banquet. Her brows furred and she picked up the flower. She stared at the elegantly designed, well put together invitation. The banquet was being held at the Uchiha Mansion hosted by Krystal Uchiha. She wanted to smile, on the inside she did a little but it was like her face was tired. Like her lips couldn't curve upwards.

She sighed and fell on her bed. Have you ever had that moment where you're just tired? Tired in a way you didn't even know you could be tired? Atona had opened her eyes, pulled them right open in a way that couldn't hurt anymore than it already did. Sakura couldn't run from it. It was everywhere she went. She was the greatest, most depressing thing in her life. She was her own demon. She… was just tired. Just so tired. Drained form all form of life and she just wanted the day to come where God decided she'd spent enough days.

She knew the moment he entered her room through the window and she sighed. She didn't want to talk to him right now; she didn't want to talk at all. She didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to feel about anything. She hadn't heard anything about Ino and he wouldn't tell her anything as it was, he refused to let her see her and she was worrying her head off. She wanted to know what was going on and it wasn't fair for her to be going through something like this and her best friend wasn't by her side. If it was her, Ino would have done everything in her power to be by her side. Why wasn't she doing the same? Why was she being so terrible?

"She wants to have you for dinner Friday night." She mumbled turning on her side away from him.

She could feel him and picture him just standing in the corner, fingers intertwined elegantly in front of him with his eyes observing her. She could picture his cold, emotionless gaze, his face stagnant and void. Sakura could trace every hard, smooth, emotionless void of his face with her eyes closed. She could know every hair on his head. Did he know that? Did he know that she'd look at him until her eyes burnt without him seeing her? Did he know that if she ever took up a paint brush all she could do was fill them with images of him, colors and emotions of him? He probably didn't and just probably shouldn't.

"Is that so?" he asked.

She smiled. She liked the way he spoke sometimes. She liked the emptiness and mysteriousness of his voice, like he opened a void to her with the expectations that she was to fill it. She didn't hear his footsteps but she could feel him moving towards, getting ever so much closer like heat. She turned and looked at him with a very tiny hint of a smile.

"Yes." She said.

He said down next to her and took her hand. "Well then, I suppose I have no other choice." He said.

"You shouldn't be here."

"You can't tell me what to do." he said kicking off his shoes and pulling her into his arms. "Besides, I think you're in need of my company."

She rested her head on his chest. She felt like she was in the safest place in the world, that there was nowhere else that could keep her safe like Sasuke could. His body was so firm, broader than hers and he seemed to engulf her small frame. She sighed. His fingers ran through her hair.

"She's fine. I promise." He whispered.

"Then why can't I see her?"

"Because Sakura it's not safe for either of you." he replied. "Don't worry about her."

She turned to face him. "You can't just tell me that and think that changes anything. How can I not worry about her Sasuke when I don't even know what's happened to her? I want to know what's wrong with my best friend and I don't see why you can't at least tell me." she said.

He bit the insides of his jaw, she noticed as he did the act. She didn't want to upset him but this was extremely unfair and unjust. He could tell her that she was safe a million and one times, it didn't matter. Ino was safe from what? Was she the cause of this? She knew she was the cause of a thousand and one things that seemed to always go wrong in the town.

"Well, that's all I will be telling you." he said.

"Sasuke that's not fair."

"Sakura, I don't want to talk about this because I simply can't tell you anything. I don't think it's safe."

"What am I going to possibly do Sasuke? Run out of the house and teleport to where ever Ino is? It's not like I can do anything at all if you give me some piece of mind." She reasoned.

"Sakura-"

"Let me get this straight." She said. "I am that emotionally unstable and freakishly dramatic that you can't tell me? Or do you just like being this unfair all the time?" she asked, her tone not accusing or sharp as one would expect it to be. Instead, her voice was as soft as a cloud.

"Of course not."

"And you still won't tell me anything?"

"No."

She stared at him for a long time before simply moving from his hold and exiting the bed entirely. She grabbed a rubber band and caught her hair in a messy ponytail.

She heard him sigh. "Where are you going?"

She entered the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She sat there on her bathroom floor and refused until it hurt to shed a tear. Tired. Lately, that's almost like the only feeling she'd come to know.

_**So guys there you go! Probably won't see me for while and all of that but I will try my best. I want to thank you guys for your support very much and for the review. Trust me they keep me going. I also want to thank everyone who has Favorite me in any form, followed and alerted me. Thank you guys so much. I don't think I could make it this far without you. HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK AND MONTH!**_

_**PS: I am always here to talk if you need a friend. ^_^**_

_**Endless love,**_

_**D.V**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**WELCOME!**__ It's been a while, I know this, I know this. Trust me, I am up to my neck in drama and responsibilities right now but I feel so bad that I haven't updated that I just had to do this real quick. I know this chapter might be a little confusing for some of you so just read slowly and all of that. I tried to make it as clear as possible without revealing too much and stuff. _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**____**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__ __**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty Four]**

_**Kvinochi- this is an island that was once a part of Kamalpa (as you know, Kamalpa was an entire world, not just a single place). From this island came the most powerful Kavazwalians.**_ _**Everyone that sits on the council, all of them are from that island. That is why they are the most powerful and are put in the position of **__**Kapasulas. However, the Pentitantum fearing the possibility that they might be over thrown one day, decided that it would be best to destroy the island, along with almost all its inhabitants to prevent anyone that could be more powerful than them from being born and aiding in a revolt. They were trying to prevent success in terms of what the Kavazwalians are trying to do now.**_

It baffled him to no ceasing extent that even in this almost stifling and important conversation they were having that this blonde haired girl could find vane, materialistic things more important and more necessary to speak about. It was simply impressive. Granted he didn't dislike Ino to the point that he couldn't stand her, she was Sakura's friend and so of course he had no problem with tolerating her but honestly, he couldn't really understand what Shikamaru found so special about her. She seemed to be like every other girl in the world except she had a mind and mouth of her own but then again, many girls were like that too. Like Tami who spoke whatever she thought. Ino was really no different as far as he could tell but then again what did he really know?

He glanced at Sakura for the millionth time and felt his stomach sink. She hadn't spoken since she got here and she only just stared at the blank wall, appearing only minutely interesting in what Ino was currently speaking about. She said that she was not mad and he couldn't tell whether to believe her or not this time. Even though they were speaking about her, Ino claimed to remember absolutely nothing and he knew Sakura had put two and two together. She was blaming herself. This was her fault. He looked at Ino again and sighed.

"Ino," Sasuke said, "are we really talking about this?" he asked.

She looked at him as if he'd slapped her in the face. "Of course I'm serious. Uh hello, this is our last year in high school for crying out loud."

"Ino it's your last year." Shikamaru corrected.

She shot him a glare. "Don't get smart." She snapped. "How can you not dress up for Halloween? Like seriously?"

"How did we migrate from our conversation to Halloween?" Gaara asked only partially amused by Ino.

"Ask her." Tenten said pointing to Ino. "I don't know why she's making such a big fuss about it. I don't wear a costume either." She mumbled.

Ino looked at her stunned. "What? Am I the only one who wears a costume?"

"And Naruto." Neji said. "He wears a costume. Every. Single. Year." He said.

"We could both wear costumes." Naruto grinned.

Ino almost gagged. "Halloween is next week! If I wear a costume then everyone wears a costume!" she said.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked like Ino had shot him. "What?"

"You heard me. We all dress up. The end."

"Ino, what for?" Shikamaru asked.

"Because!" she objected. "This is a crisis! Don't you see what you're missing out? You're missing the fun!"

"We just don't celebrate it."

"Well you guys will just have to this year or we just won't be able to hang out at the dance and otherwise for that day. Simple. We should all wear a costume and pair up. It'll be fun. Come on you guys please?"

"Fun she says." Shikamaru mumbled. "Fine. Anything you want."

"But I wasn't planning to dress up." Tenten said. "I don't have costumes."

"Then buy one." Ino said. "Guys, seriously, come on. And yes Sasuke, Sakura will be in costume and as her boyfriend it is custom that you be in one too."

"Is that so?" he asked.

"It is so." she shot back. "So, we'll have a great time this week! And you guys won't be missing anything." She said. "I just solved a grave problem you're free to thank me."

"I'm positively sure I'm not missing anything." Neji said.

"You don't even know what fun is." Tenten mumbled.

"And even if I did I'm sure it doesn't involve debauchery, that's only your kind of fun Tenten." He replied callously.

Tenten sat up with a start and glared at him. "I'm sorry what was that? You did not just go there."

"You're not deaf are you?" he asked sarcastically. "Or perhaps you are and that's why you never seem to hear your phone ringing."

Her eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding me!" She yelled. "You're acting like you ever gave a rats ass to begin with!"

"Oh shit." Naruto said sinking into his chair.

Ino cringed. "It's finally hit the fan." She mumbled.

"Sit back ladies and gents, this is going to get hot. Here we go." Shikamaru said.

Neji glared her to hell. "Don't you dare, even for a second, try to turn this on me Tenten. You're the one who avoided me like a plague, as if I had done something so terrible to you."

Sasuke sighed heavily for really, now was not the time for this to be happening. He rubbed his temples and tried –as hard as it was- not to get upset at the lack of seriousness at the table.

"Oh don't act like you didn't!" she barked slamming her fist down on the table with force no one knew she had, cracking the granite. Eyes bulged but it was as if the couple was incapable of noticing. "I know how you are Neji! I know how all of you are!"

"All of who?" he shouted pushing his chair back and rising. "Do you honestly think you know me? You know absolutely nothing." he almost sneered.

She laughed sarcastically. "Oh please! For ten seconds alone I am the apple of your eye Neji until you rip my clothes off!"

"You took your own damn clothes off. I didn't lose a button." he said, his voice cold enough to shatter glass.

Ino and Gaara coughed simultaneous, biting back the comments suddenly at the tips of their tongues. Sakura stared transfixed as the argument unfolded. Tenten's eyes seem to gash fire, blazing but Neji's eyes…his eyes seemed angry, dark…intense.

"You sure as hell didn't fucking stop me!"

"Don't." He said holding his hand up to silence her with his face contorted almost in disgust. "Don't you dare Tenten. Don't make this seem like my fault. You _threw_ yourself at me." he said.

Everyone gasped and jaws dropped as his words slammed into Tenten like bricks. Anger radiated from her and she kicked her chair, bending the metal as it flew into the wall behind her. She let out a frustrated shriek.

They had all seen this coming, it was only a matter of time before they finally hit it off but Sasuke didn't think this was particularly a good time. However it wasn't like he could stop them, they were already in the heat of the argument. He could only wait until they were finished. He had to admit though; Neji was quite fierce in what he'd just said.

"Yes! Since that is all I do Neji! I throw my fucking self at EVERYONE! Right!? Right!?"

"And you're mad at me?" he asked incredulously. "If that is what you do Tenten, I'm not the one you should be angry with." He informed her, face emotionless and hard like stone.

Ino's hands flew to her mouth at the horrific statement Neji just made. Sasuke leaned back in his chair as Sakura held on to his hand fiercely engrossed in the cataclysmic argument unfolding before them.

She revved. "You're so full of shit!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I shouldn't have touched you then? If I shouldn't have, you should have kept your clothes on. How can I not touch you Tenten? It seems I should have the answers but pardon my idiocy for I don't." He said.

"Oh no! No! You can't read minds! Just take advantage of me!"

"How can you possibly say that? I did no such thing. You're just supposed to throw yourself at me and I do nothing? You enjoy playing the victim Tenten; it seems to be the only game you know for had I rejected you, that would have destroyed you." He said. "I can't help but wonder what it is you want. It upsets me that you dare stand there and talk such things when all I have done is try time and time again to speak to you."

"For another fuck Neji! Yes, I know! For another fuck! So why should I pick up the phone?! You have thousands of mother fucking bitches at your finger tips, all you have to do is snap your fingers and they flock around you."

"Enlighten as to what that has to do with us." He said. "Or have you seen me snapping my fingers to replace you?"

"There is no 'us'! And yes, you're right! I was the stupid one! I was so stupid to let you take me home!"

"You needed me."

"And that was my fucking mistake! You pretend to like me like everyone else!"

Neji staggered back like Tenten had slapped him in the face. He looked at her incredulously. Suddenly a wary look fell over his face.

"It is sad and disappointing that you know absolutely nothing about me. There is so much more to this between us –yes there is an 'us' believe or not- that you don't understand. I pay the price for every other man that fucked you over and I still _c__**a**__me back_."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "He's going to blow."

"You're such a liar!" Tenten barked.

"I suppose you're right. Absolutely. I am a liar. I am like every other man you've ever met. I will be no different, desire nothing different and expect nothing different. How right you are astounds me." he said walking over to her. Tenten staggered back but he only smiled then, it was a sad smile. "I will show you just how much you know me Tenten. I will show you how much I am like every other man you've ever met and I apologize beforehand. I _**will **_let the truth break you to pieces."

He held up his index finger and something almost like mist slowly crept out. He pressed his finger against her forehead as she stood there backed up against the wall. There was a reason he was reluctant to speak to her when they were in the hospital. Truth sieved into Tenten's body.

Sasuke knew the whole back story to all of this, he has but he didn't pressure Neji when it came to his life. He was free to handle it any way he pleased, Sasuke didn't command him to anything and this was Neji's tack-tick. However, this was turning into a disaster as Neji chose this point to show truth. This time to make more drama.

Neji was a Dragon without a Keeper. He didn't have one because he didn't want to bring Tenten into this. He had never wanted to bring her into this. When everyone else was rampaging around with their Keepers and the women were changing into dragons he was alone. His previous keeper had died centuries ago and he had truly been lost since. Sasuke knew Neji didn't really expect Tenten to understand this but Sasuke knew it cut a knife for him to learn how she really felt.

"I don't expect you to comprehend this, not now and possibly not ever. I wish that I could be through with you but it's not that easy. Forget all my efforts. Forget me Tenten, for all I am worth." he said softly. He dropped his hand and looked at all the stunned faces in the room. "Forgive me for what has just happened. If you'd please excuse me from the rest of this meeting," He said stuffing his hands in his pocket and calmly walking out like he'd left something broken behind.

A cry of absolute pain broke from Tenten's lips, as if a piece of her had been ripped from her body as she fell to her knees in a heap. She gasped her head racing. She pushed herself to her feet and dashed through the door.

Silence fell among them. Everyone looked at each other and Ino's hand flew to her mouth. Tears clouded her vision as she held her chest. Shikamaru rose and wrapped his arms around her before anyone could even blink or before she could begin to lose her mind. Well shit.

"Ino, Ino breathe." He said. "Take your time and breathe."

This is what they had been speaking about before the turn of events. Ino was in-tuned to people's emotions, exceptionally in-tuned and he was just waiting for her to feel whatever those two had been feeling. She didn't know how to deal with the bombs of all the emotions at once. The sudden explosions would overwhelm her as they had two days ago. It had taken her quite some time to recuperate from the explosion Sakura had internally. It had damaged her pretty bad and it had taken a while to figure out what to do. This was new to her and to them.

Her sobs bounced off the walls of the room with her body shaking vigorously. The emotions slammed into her like a wrecking ball, digging into her stomach, carving out her soul from her flesh. She looked up and her eyes travelled to all those who stared at her around the table. She was feeling it. Every single drop of them coiling inside of her. She felt Tenten's emotions rage, desperately clawing for something as she searched for Neji. She took a deep breath and held her head. So many emotions. She was feeling so many emotions. What was going on? She gasped. Her body felt overwhelmed as things swirled around her like wind, wrapping around her.

"Someone is coming," she whispered, slipping out of Shikamaru's hold to the floor, gripping her head in agony. The emotions were fierce, the pain was unimaginable as she screamed, pulling at her hair, bawling.

Every time Shikamaru made a move to her she shrieked, her eyes becoming blood shut, gasping for the breath that wouldn't come. Shikamaru looked up to see Sasuke holding Sakura in place as she struggled to flee to Ino's side.

No human, no person in the world could feel the fire that blazed through her, the insanity that bloomed in her mind, the cascading turmoil that ran down her and the pain that seeped into every single cell of her body. Ino felt like she was going to die, as if death was ripping her to shreds. She felt like she was going to explode, everything convulsing into each other. The agony and dread and the voice spilling across the roads in her head was unlike anything else. Who could feel so much? Blood trickled from Ino's eyes as she tried but failed to see, her body tight in agony. Almost blindly she shot through the door, screaming.

Shikamaru ran his fingers through his hair. "Can someone please tell me what's going on right now?" he growled.

"She's an Empath." Hinata said walking into the room with that serine smile on her face. "Shikamaru, please, go after her. I apologize. It would seem that she was channeling my emotions. I'm awfully sorry." She whispered.

Hissing his teeth Shikamaru banged through the door in search for Ino. At this point Sakura was crumpled in Sasuke's arms in tears. His head rested on hers, his strong arms wrapped around her protectively. Of course this was wearing her poor body thin. For some reason Sasuke remembered the first days that they spoke, how shy and fragile she seemed then, cringing away even from the smallest of confrontation. She wouldn't even look him in his eyes. She gripped his shirt desperately as the sobs increased.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Gaara noted.

"Hinata, are you sure you should be here?" Naruto asked caringly.

She flushed and forced herself not to stutter. "Yes." She said. "I was invited. Sasuke said it was crucial that I come." She smiled bashfully.

Naruto turned slightly red. "It's kind of been a disaster."

She nodded meekly. "Sakura there is no need to cry. Everything will be fine." She soothed.

Sasuke ran his hands down her cheeks before resting his forehead on hers. Gaara, Naruto and Hinata watched them exchange words among themselves. Sakura nodded as she looked up into his face. His eyes were hard and his lips moved carefully and precisely. He smirked and she smiled swatting his hand away. She sniffled and reluctantly took a seat. She wiped her face and smiled at Hinata.

"We meet again with one of us not really perfect."

She smiled. "So it would seem." She said beautifully. "I'm sorry for the way this has turned out but everyone will be back here in a couple minutes I'm sure." She promised.

"Thank you for coming Hinata." Sasuke said. "I know it's a sacrifice."

"As Ino has shown you. That is exactly the price I am paying." she smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"What did you find out?" he asked.

"Well when Shikamaru called me two days ago during Ino's first 'episode' I ran some tests and I discovered some mutated cells in her body caused by this unknown energy that's been awakening things including the God. She'll continue to mutate until it's completed. She has more powers to get tied to her emotions." She replied.

Sasuke sighed. "So there really are two players in this game. The God isn't the only one awakening everything?"

She shook her head. "No, it is not the God's power alone. Something else, very powerful is doing it. Possible a combination of all of our energies in one place, coupled with this God is causing a disaster of its own. Shikamaru and I both believe that the God is in the Agape Forest. It is in slumber because you know, it cannot survive here."

Sasuke sighed. "The Agape Forest is our next destination?"

She nodded. "That is where I was led in my vision yes. I don't really know much else. More female dragons have formed since Ramora. We don't know what to do. Sasuke, they're harder to control, they have no Keepers like the Males and we don't know how to tame them." She said softly putting her head in her hands from wariness. "I fear I might transform soon. Sasuke, we're heading straight for disaster if we cannot fix this."

"I'm aware." Sasuke said tightly.

"You must visit Kurenai Yūhi when the time is right. Don't ask me when that is, I do not know." Hinata said and looked at him. "Also, you must visit the parent." She said, her eyes darting to Sakura for a second. "The woman." She said.

Sasuke nodded. "Why must I?"

"She knows things, or that is what my sight tells me. I do not know. They only let me see what they want me to see." She said referring to those in the celestial realm. She sighed before leaning back. She looked at Sakura. "You look much better than the last time I saw you." she smiled.

Sakura laughed. "I feel better."

She nodded. "I'm sorry about the other day." She said.

Sakura looked down. "Me too." She said before looking up and smiling. "But the past is the past I guess."

The door to the room opened and Tenten, Neji and Shikamaru walked through. Tenten's eyes were puffy. She grasped her metal chair from where it hit the wall and bent the metal leg back into place before taking a seat heavily. Neji silently took the seat that had once been Shikamaru to be as far away from Tenten as possible. Shikamaru sat next to Hinata without complaint.

"Sorry about that." Tenten mumbled.

"Ino's in another room in the building. I don't think it's best to bring her back in here."

Hinata nodded and looked down. Shikamaru rested his hand on Hinata's shoulder. "You're not to blame."

"I know." she said. "I wasn't aware of what was happening until I heard her screaming. If I had known it would have been like this I wouldn't have come." She said softly.

"It's better that you're here." Shikamaru said. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you for asking." She said.

"So where were we?" He asked. "You know before everything went down to the gutter." He said.

Gaara sighed. "Nowhere, that's where we were." He said leaning back in his chair. "This seems more like a soap opera than anything else. I feel like I miss far too much in my absence." He said.

"You don't know the half of it." Naruto said rolling his eyes.

"Hinata did you tell him?" Shikamaru asked.

She shook her head. "I was… I was waiting for you." she stuttered.

He smiled. "Of course. Let me do the troublesome talking, how noble of you." he teased. "Sasuke, as you know I've still been keeping in touch with Antayia and Antabela and all of that. Basically, Sakura could be the cause of most of this."

She almost choked. "Me?"

"Relax." Hinata soothed.

"Sasuke, this is all assumptions right now. We really can't prove anything at all until you speak with Kurenai Yūhi and Sakura's mother because what we know for sure, those are the only two people who could give us the answers we need about all of this. We're assuming here that there is a dormant soul in Sakura, -like one of the multiple people I've told you about- that's stirring and it's causing all of this." he said. "We've theorized that Sakura is being used as a vessel by more than one soul and that one of them unconsciously is powerful enough to cause all this when coupled with all of us in the small town. We believe it's due to all of this massive power coming from us at -one single point at all times- that has awakened the God Hinata is sure is here."

"That's literally impossible. Another soul cannot be inside of her. That's ridiculous."

Hinata shook her head. "You wouldn't know. If it's dormant, you wouldn't know Sasuke and your soul is attached to Sakura, it could refuse to reveal something like that you to prevent complications. Your soul could more than likely be aware and communicative with the other soul inside of her." she said.

"This is all theory."

"It's the most plausible that we have." Shikamaru said. "Trust me, I've been around and gone through enough sources since this started. We need to speak to her mother and you to Kurenai Yūhi." He said. "Needless to say, I'm probably right and we're basically the cause of all this."

"Not many Kavazwalians are powerful enough to do something like this even if she was being used as a vessel." Neji said. "I don't particularly buy into your theory."

"It is possible if they came from Kvinochi." Hinata said.

"That place does not exist." Gaara said. "Well, not anymore."

Sasuke help up his hand silencing everyone. "Could you please say everything to me in order and stop speaking in pieces. I'm getting _very_ annoyed with the delays."

Shikamaru sighed. "We know that Kvinochi doesn't exist anymore. We know the line on all the councils are from Kvinochi Island and we are also breeds from there, as well as our descendants if our lines stay pure. We also know that out of fear of being overthrown, the Pentitantum decided to destroy the island and so went most of the inhabitants there. What we're saying is that _more_ Kavazwalians that we don't know about in the history books as 'survivors' could have escaped and lived amongst us without us being able to detect it. One could have died and gone into Sakura's body, staying dormant there. They're known to do that in order to avoid death. We know this. If that was the case, then the soul would be strong enough to wake a God with being around us who hold so much energy. It's being exposed to us and it hasn't been exposed to power like ours in years and so, unconsciously it too is at work. With all of us gathered with such power in one place this could be the power awakening things and this God, thereby causing all these things to happen. I'm aware that it sounds like a long shot to you, but trust me Sasuke, Hinata and I dug this up like you would not believe and I swear, it seems practically right."

Sasuke looked at Hinata who bobbed her head. "It seems very plausible." She said.

"And why shouldn't it be?" Naruto asked. "I mean, with all that's going on Sasuke, you have to accept that anything at all is possible right now. People are changing and new species I've never seen are spawning as we speak. This is…chaos." He said.

"Well I've got a date tonight so I cannot visit Kurenai anytime soon." Sasuke said glancing at Sakura.

He hated the way how she was just so quite through this entire meeting. They'd been in this room for hours before all the drama began to go down. He knew she must be tired; he'd dragged her from school for this meeting. He thought it was best she missed today anyways and he didn't think he'd be able to restrain his anger if he ever saw Atona's face anywhere. It was best for the both of them. It was Friday and she would get the weekend.

"Is that so?" Gaara smirked.

"Yes," Sasuke, "you mock me Gaara."

Shikamaru laughed. "He's having dinner with Rin, Sakura's guardian. Nervous?"

"What for?" he asked. "She'll love me." he said confidently. "Listen, clearly everyone is wound up and you all clearly have very few things under control." He shot Tenten and Neji a glare. "So I think we're done for right now. Shikamaru, go take care of Ino, I think I'll be taking Sakura home." he said taking her hand and leading her to the door.

He looked down at her and sighed. "Was a lot for you?"

"I can't come with you." she said.

"Come with me where?"

"To my mother."

Sasuke cringed from the inside. There were so many things about Sakura's past that he did not know. What he had learnt two days ago about her life had made him sick to the bottom of his stomach. The things she'd told him, stories that he still –even now- could not believe. She'd been dragged through hell as far as he was concerned and even if there were other souls inside of Sakura, her past had formed her. She didn't get stuck with this personality; she was made and molded this way because of her life.

"I wouldn't ask you to come with me Sakura. I know you're not ready for that." he said.

"And yes, it was a lot for me." she said answering his question. "But, at least I'm starting to understand things."

"And you know you're safe with me right?"

"I know. You don't have to assure me every ten seconds. I know." she said getting into his car.

"Good. I have some things to do. I'll drop you home and I will be back at seven."

"On time?" she asked nervously.

"Yes on time. You have nothing to worry about. Rin will love me." he assured.

"How do you know?"

"Because, I charm anyone I please into my favor." He said simply. "She will love me because I am a gentleman and I treat you as you should be treated." He said.

"I'm still worried. I don't know what she's going to think."

"She's going to think, what fine tastes in men you have. You choose them well." He smirked pausing at a stop light.

She laughed. "You're so full of it."

"Am I truly?"

"Yes."

"Well am I not charming and handsome? Would you rather I was ugly?"

"Now of course not."

"Exactly." He said.

_**So there you have it! The chapter was actually longer but I had to split it in two because it was just waaaaay too long and also, it would help me to update soon again. I'm in the middle of life changing exams and all of that and being broke and well, you guys get the drift. I'm busy, busy, busy but I have to make time for you guys. Feel free to let me know if anything was unclear, what you thought of the chapter and everything. Reviews are always appreciated, they make me smile. HAVE A LOVELY WEEK GUYS, BE HAPPY AND SMILE LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW. **_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**WELCOME!**__ So I'm in the middle of exams but update is due so here it is. I know this chapter is super short but don't worry, you've got a VERY, VERY long chapter coming up next so I'm preparing you guys for it. Thank you so much for sticking with me. At this stage, I feel like this story is turning into trash or something. I guess it's because I haven't been updating often but trust me, I feel that way so I'm working on that. _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no **__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty Five]**

By the time Sakura got home Rin was in the kitchen cooking up a storm. She was on the phone, speaking in business-like manner as she stirred something bubbling in a pot. She looked at Sakura and smiled.

"A package came for you. It's upstairs." She mouthed. "Is he still coming?" she asked.

Sakura grinned and nodded before mounting the stairs and heading to her room. There was a box on her bed and she slipped off her bag and walked over to it. A package? What was wrong with Sasuke and all these things? First the invitation and flowers now this? He didn't need to do all these things. She was fine, more or less, why didn't he believe her? Did he know her that well? She smiled though, actually excited to see what was in there. She picked up the sealed note and opened it.

_**You seem a far greater prize than I could have ever thought. Here is a small token.**_

That was all it said. Her brows furred and this unknown dread and fear hit her. She noticed instantly that it wasn't Sasuke's hand writing and that certainly didn't sound romantic. Her heart raced and she wondered if Sasuke could feel it from wherever he was. He probably could, he spied her on intense like that.

Slowly she pulled off the cover of the box. The panic was instantaneous and his hand clasped over her mouth instantly out of nowhere. His speed impeccable; like a flash.

"Don't. Scream." Sasuke said. "Rin is downstairs. Don't scream,"

How many times had he ever said that to her since she'd known him? She felt like she was hearing this for the millionth time. Only this time, she wanted to scream off her head. Her own hands fell atop of his in terror and she bit into his palm in vain effort to keep her mouth closed. He didn't even flinch. Her body turned and she wasn't looking inside of the box anymore. She didn't let go of his hand as she bit down on it and he heard him sigh. Her hand fell and Sasuke removed his hand and Sakura dashed to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet.

She covered her mouth in horror on the floor, tears fogging her vision. Her heart raced and her stomach churned. Who would do such a thing? There was a decaying cat in the box, swarmed with maggots and insects. She cringed. The scent invaded her senses and more bile rose in her throat. She puked again in the toilet before pushing herself to her feet. She washed her face in the sink and washed out of her mouth. She turned and Sasuke was leaning on the door frame with a grim look on his face.

Nausea hit her like a punch in the gut. Like flashes of light she kept seeing it. She'd only seen it for a split second, just a short one but that enough to burn her eyes and nose. It was on her bed. She slept on that. Oh god. She bent at her waist, resting her hands on her knees as she tried not to vomit again. She hadn't eaten anything all day and she still had taken her pills. She couldn't be puking all over the place.

"I don't get it." She trembled.

Silence.

"I've gotten rid of it. Don't think about it. I'll be back here at seven thirty." He said. "Don't do anything reckless until I get back."

"No, Sasuke…no…don't go." She begged.

He chuckled. "Calm down. You hardly even saw anything, it was just a cat."

"Just a cat!?" She shrieked.

"Keep your voice down." He said.

"It wasn't just a cat." She murmured.

He laughed and strode over to her. His arms enveloped her. "Right, it's more than just a cat I'm sure. Calm down. It wasn't that bad. You didn't see much and it's gone. Your sheets are changed. Stop shaking."

"Seven thirty, not a second later. You swear it?"

"Scouts honor. Close your windows and keep occupied." He said. He kissed her on the forehead before vanishing.

Sakura stayed in the bathroom for a while out of fear of going out there. That didn't make any sense? Why on Earth would someone send her dead cat? She was sure she had enough to deal with as it was and she wasn't a fan of dead animals. It was brutal.

When she muscled up enough strength to go out into her room, of course it was gone. She worried about Sasuke, what had he gone to do? He looked very angry. She tried to study, she tried doing her homework but all she really ended up doing was pacing. She kept looking at the clock, fretting and worrying about what was going on. She kept glancing at her bed where the box had once been. It was a cat. Who did the cat belong to? Did it belong to someone she knew? Sure, he was right, it was just a cat so it wasn't that bad but there was a point to the cat, she just didn't know what it was.

She took a shower and reached downstairs a little after seven to help her finish up in the kitchen. They spoke and laughed as Sakura helped around. She didn't want to think about it. Rin reminded her mother before everything went bad and her mother tried to kill a while back. Sakura smiled. They had good memories before that time, they were so close and they used to do so much together. But then everything changed.

Her mother had tried killing her, then the fights started and her father started drinking. Her mother left for a while and they fought for a devoice. Then she came back and tried to kill her again and got locked up when Sakura thought telling on her mother was the right thing to do. Her father never believed her. Never believed Sakura was telling the truth about such things but they were once a happy family and Sakura remembered those days. Rin reminded her of those days.

The door bell rang and Rin smiled. "Well, he seems to be on time."

Sakura flushed and went to open the door. He stood there with a smirk on his face and pulled an almost trampled bouquet of flowers from behind his back.

"Goodnight my Queen," he purred. "I swear they were more romantic."

She laughed loudly as she stared at the poor bouquet. She took it from his hand and touched it tenderly. "I would assume they worked well against the odds." She teased stepping aside. "Come right in."

He stepped in and wrapped his hand around her waist. "Nervous?" he asked.

She nodded as she led him down into the living room. Rin emerged from the kitchen and drew Sasuke instantly into a big hug. She smiled and observed him at arms length.

"So this is mighty Sasuke huh?" she said sighing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Sasuke said charmingly.

She flushed. "Welcome honey. You're the famous one I've heard so much about. You don't look so bad." She commented.

He smirked. "Thank you." he said.

She shook her head. "Did you come with the intention to truly eat my cooking or are you just here to get it over with?" she asked stepping up and going into the kitchen.

"Honestly I'm here for both."

She looked at him closely for a moment before smiling. "You seem to know just what to say to a grown woman Mr. Uchiha. I think I should be careful around you or you'll trick me into your favor."

"Well that's the goal I'm aiming for tonight." he said.

She laughed. "Good because we've got plenty to talk about. You'll need the energy to keep up."

"Then thank heavens I came with a completely empty stomach." He said stealing a kiss from Sakura when Rin wasn't looking. Her eyes almost budged out of her head as he smirked deceivingly. "Don't worry. I've got this." he whispered in her ear before taking a seat at the table.

Nervously Sakura sat down as well and Rin came to the table. The air was light and not as tense as she thought it would have been. Rin wasn't hard on him like she thought she would have been but Sakura knew Rin was getting all the information she wanted and was analyzing Sasuke as the night went on. Rin didn't inquire about his life of fame or arts, it didn't seem like she cared much that he was famous. She did ask him about how well he was at privacy and keeping his personal life out of the media at all times. He assured her that his business was private and would always remain private and that not everything was meant for his fans.

"Now, onto other matters. Sasuke, tell me, have you been aware of the situation between my daughter and Sakura?" she asked taking a sip of water.

Sasuke leaned back. "No offense Mrs-"

"Call me Rin." She inserted.

"-Rin but if I had known that this was going on, things would have gone _very_ differently. Sakura makes certain things a point of her duty to tell no one about." he said casting a look at her. "So no, I was not aware."

"And how do you feel about it?"

"I can't say that I understand it to be honest to even know what to truly feel besides rage." He replied simply.

"What do you mean?"

"I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I'm a celebrity but to you and me right now Rin I simply don't understand it. We go to the same school, I am aware, but I don't even glance in your daughter's way to even give her the slightest hint that we could ever have something. I had a girlfriend at the time anyways that believed strongly in making herself known. Granted I had heard about her, being the president of one of the many fan clubs but that was all." He said. "The only explanation I could possibly give myself is that it's a fan thing which I undoubtedly hate."

Rin sighed. "I don't understand it myself dear and as a mother I don't even know how to feel about it either."

"I can only imagine. I don't even know how long this had been going on and what she has done to other girls. To just put it out there, without you of course taking offense because I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from, I dislike your daughter greatly Rin. More so because of what she's done to Sakura. It's thoroughly unjust."

"Tell me about it. I understand where you're coming from Sasuke; I can't say I don't now can I? I mean, even as a parent who loves her child I have to open my eyes to these things. I didn't take Sakura in to have this happen under my nose. I didn't even realize. Can you believe that?" she asked shaking her head sadly.

"I do believe it. I don't condone it but things like this happen every day. Trust me Rin you're not the only one with a problematic child like that. They're everywhere, not everyone knows how to handle it when they realize though."

"And that's where an even greater problem starts don't you think?" She asked. "Not knowing how to deal with it and leaving it be without straightening it out." She sighed.

"Even though I hate to admit, I believe there is something wrong with her. That there are things that she just doesn't know how to deal with right now and this is the only way she knows how." He said. "But, Rin really, if you've done your best what more is there? There is only so much you can do."

She smiled. "You're quite something Sasuke." she commented. "Far more mature than I expected you to be, far wiser."

"Thank you." he said.

"And I told myself I wasn't going to ask you this, but please, tell me how well do you intend to take care of Sakura? She's going throu-"

He held his hand up and almost smiled. He was so close, his smirk filled with something she had never seen before. It was a smirk that had all the motives of a smile, it seemed heartwarming almost like he had been waiting all night for her to ask him that. Sakura held her breath. What was he going to say?

"You might not believe me but take my word. As long as it is in my power, I will hand her anything she wants on a silver platter to do as she please. Even if she wants my own head severed she can have it." He said. "Sakura has the world at her feet, she just doesn't realize it."

Rin leaned back. "Is that so?"

"That is so." he agreed simply. "I care about her far more than anything I've ever had. You can certainly trust me to take care of her." he said.

"And Sakura you have nothing to say? You're hardly even participating in the conversation."

"I don't really have anything to say." She said.

That was the truth. Even as she sat there her mind would stray to the package she'd gotten earlier and her stomach would just churn nastily. She could hardly stomach down her dinner. She glanced at Sasuke and smiled, unable to keep eye contact.

_Anything on a silver platter huh? _She asked herself.

_Anything. _

Her head shot up instantly to look at him. He only winked at her before turning his attention to Rin.

"Well you must have something to add." Rin mumbled. "Dinner is almost over and you've hardly said a word."

"You and Sasuke have been having a very…interesting conversation." She said flushing. "Besides, this is really a dinner for the both of you. To get to know each other is all and see if you approve."

"And I can't say I don't approve. You're quite charming Sasuke and very… what's the word I'm looking for? You have class, like a gentleman with secrets."

"I do have secrets and my mother has taught me indeed to be a gentleman." He agreed smirking.

She laughed rising from the table. She looked at them both before sighing. "I remember when I was your age, it was a glorious time. Do right by her Sasuke, as her aunt that's all I'm asking and in return I know she will undoubtedly do right by you."

"And you're certainly not asking too much of me Rin." He said easing her mind. "Believe me."

"Sadly I can't help but believe you. I can't help but believe you've tricked me into your favor but what can I do now to change that?" she laughed. "I see you two need to talk so you're free to go outside and do that." she said.

Sakura looked at her incredulously. "How did you know that?"

She looked at Sakura sadly. "Honey I've been married for a very long time. I know. I've been there." she said. "I'll clean up here. You two go have your chit chat. Be good." She warned heading into the kitchen.

Sasuke pushed his chair back and held his hand out to Sakura. Without hesitation she took it and led him through the glass sliding door outside to the back step. They sat down next to each other and he draped his hand over her shoulder as she rested on him.

"Now that wasn't so bad was it?" he asked calmly.

"What did you do?" she asked instantly.

"I didn't do anything."

"You're lying and you know it. What did you do Sasuke? Where did you go?" she asked again.

"Why do you ask? Were you worried?" he asked softly.

"Just tell me. You never tell me anything!" she objected.

"I don't particularly want to tell you what I did Sakura." He said. "I protected you, that is what I did. That is what I will always do. That is all you have to know."

"From what?"

"Someone knows." He said. "Someone has been using their powers to trace me and they found you instead. Someone has figured it out partially that you are my Gardien D'âme or better yet, my weakness. That can cause a lot of problems we do not want."

"Why did the Pentitantum lie to you?" she asked softly. "Why didn't they tell you the truth?"

He was silent for a while. "I don't believe that they lied. Even if they had, you should have been dead manilas ago. I just have to make sure what happened tonight doesn't happen again. I didn't even ask you. Are you alright?"

"No, not really." She admitted.

He rubbed her arm. "I know." he said. "And I really wish that wasn't your answer. I want you to be happy. I feel that this is just a whole mess that makes that very much impossible."

She looked up at him. "Do you really think that?"

"I do believe that unfortunately."

She laughed. "Sasuke, it's nothing like that. I am happy when I'm with you and you don't know how much that means to me. You don't know how much it means to me that you come out of nowhere the second I feel like the world is collapsing on me. I don't know where I would be without you, you carry my burdens too and I feel…like I don't deserve that." she admitted looking up into the sky at the moon that lingered.

He bit his bottom lip in an effort not to smile and Sakura watched in almost awe at the sight. He was smiling. At a time like this, he was smiling.

"Since we're romantically disclosing how we feel here. Let me just say I want to give you everything. I would trap every star in a bottle if you asked me to." He said.

"And you're worried." She said.

"Yes. I've still not figured out what to do when everyone finds out which is inevitable. The amount of danger this could possibly put you in is ridiculously high."

"So? I might not know everything but I certainly know that this isn't going to be easy. I know we have a lot of battles to come but I think it'll all be worth it." she said knotting her hands together. "It has to be worth it in the end; we can't go through all of this just to lose. That's impossible."

"How is it that you're so positive?"

She smiled. "How is it you're so negative? All you do is look at the bad side, maybe that's why you're so stressed. I've never been with anyone in my life and I know this is going to be extremely hard for me because of that but you said this is Fate. We can't change the unknown outcome but maybe we can change how we get there." she said tangling her hand in his hair playfully. "Right?"

"You're too positive about us," He said numbly allowing her to play in his hair without complaint.

"You're too negative about us. Like really Sasuke, someone just sent me a cat in a box. Did you know I love cats? Did you know?"

"Thank you for telling me." He said.

"Sasuke please, come on stop being like that. If I can handle getting a cat in a box, you can handle this."

"Sakura, did you just compare your possible death to dealing with a dead cat?" He asked incredulously.

She slumped. "I'm not saying I am going to die. I'm just saying that we can get through this. Like, yes I freaked out when I saw the cat and I puked but I still came to dinner. I'm saying that we can make it out no matter how gruesome it is."

"Your positivity makes me want to vomit." He said his voice now light.

She groaned. "I don't want to talk about negative stuff anymore. Make it stop."

"Well," he said wrapping his hand around her waist and pulling her atop of him, "If you don't want to talk, we can try something else."

_**Well there you have it guys! IF you're going to review, please just tell me how you feel about this story at this point because guys, I'm having some serious doubts here…**_

_**PS: Don't forget to laugh and smile! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!**_

_**Much Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	36. Chapter 36

_**WELCOME!**__ I only have two more exams and it's over! I'm so excited guys! Finally I'll be done with high school. I thought this day would never come! Guys I just want to thank you so much for all the reviews but most of all, thank you for giving me your opinion. I feel like I might get lost in this story, start throwing in ridiculous drama or something and stray from the steady plot I've built. SO __**I have a task for you guys!**_ _**If you notice, or feel like I'm losing track or wandering away or just writing shit all of a sudden, please, PLEASE, tell me. Let me know if I start getting lost. PREPARE FOR THE LONGEST CHAPTER EVER! Well…not really ever for you guys have more long chapters coming. **__Alright, I'm done rambling. _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no **__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty Six]**

"Ino, enough!" I snapped, slapping her hand away from my head, this time with seriousness.

She didn't understand the pandemonium inside of me right now. She didn't understand that I didn't want to do this, I didn't want to wear this, I didn't want to go to school and I didn't want to go the dance. I didn't want to do anything except curl into my bed and cry. I knew it was my fault because I didn't want Ino to know I _wasn't into_ this. It would make her sad and I didn't want to do that. I ruined people's lives as much as it was, I couldn't bear to make them even more miserable. I wanted to make her happy so of course, I was going to wear the clothes, go to school and the dance and laugh and smile and let her believe I was happy. That's the best I could do. Pretend. I couldn't give her the real thing but she didn't know the difference.

I was scared to death to have her see the complete turmoil I was in. With the weird things happening, I didn't want her to feel the disaster and everything I was feeling. It would wreck her and that…I couldn't let her go through something like that again. Ever.

She kept telling me that she didn't remember anything about what happened last week but I knew she was lying. I knew she remembered every single thing but just like me, she was in denial. She didn't want to deal with it and Ino was the kind of hard headed person that if she didn't want to deal with something, she'd just pretend it didn't exist and no one could tell her different. I knew she remembered. My gut burnt with the certainty of it and the shame I felt. I felt pathetic too. I couldn't even keep my feelings under control. How disappointing was that? I tried talking to her about it, especially after last Friday's incident in that meeting but she just wouldn't talk to me about it. That incident made me realize just how deep of a kink our very friendship was in. We too were drifting apart from each other.

However, none of those gave reason to why I slapped her hand away- of course not. I just couldn't take her yanking my hair anymore, it was painful and she was trying too hard. I felt like she was tearing my hair out from my scalp and she was being so nonchalant about it all it was ridiculous. She wanted me to look like some skank or something to only prove the people who hate me right. Not that they weren't right, I mean, they were, we've established that already but still.

Ino glared. "Don't make me smack you upside your head." She warned grabbing back my head callously. "Let me fix this. I don't know why your hair is this long. Do you think making your hair look this good comes without a little pain?" She grumbled.

"Must I wear this?" I groaned unpleasantly.

We didn't have time for a dance or time to dress up for Halloween. Didn't Ino know this already? Things were so complicated that this was the least of our problems. We were all trying to keep tabs on everything that was happening and after tonight, Sasuke would be gone to do only God knows what. I was worried and scared and I just hated this. I hated that I was the cause of this and I just wished there was something I could do to stop it. I didn't want to be the epicenter of disaster but as usual, that's what I was. I came to this town, hoping to lose it yet I was more of an earthquake than ever before- maybe not an earthquake more like a massive tsunami. I just shook up everyone's life and turned it into to rubble. I know no one would ever admit that to me –fear of hurting my feelings and whatnot- but my heart broke and bled and all I could do was hate myself even more because of this. I might be a little on the wonky train –I am admitting this because my therapist said it was okay to admit things to yourself if not anyone else- with unstable emotions and all but I wasn't stupid. I _knew _intentionally or not this was all my fault.

Granted that it was only a theory but Shikamaru wasn't stupid and neither was Hinata and they knew what they were talking about. They wouldn't bring wrong information to the table and even if it was a theory, they had to have some sort of way to back it up and they did. That unknown lady Kurenai and my mother, sadly but I too believed that my mother must know something. I knew something…I knew some of what she was going to….and I… She couldn't have gone wonkers and put so much hate towards me for no reason. I knew it was all a lie but why had she done that? Even after so long I still didn't even know. This Halloween thing was not important, not like keeping everyone safe and not being the cause of everything was.

_Do you really want to be thinking about this right now? Today is major game day Sakura, we need to bring the sunshine today. Like blinding sunlight. _

_I know…_ I kind of slumped when she told me this as if I didn't know it already. _Today is 100% okay day. I get it, I get it. No stress day for anyone. _

_We can discuss everything else later. _

_We have something to discuss? _I inquired watching her saunter around in my head.

_Don't get smart with me because you know they were talking about me last week in that meeting. _

_You're the side effect of me being insane because we both know that's what I am. You're not real. _I said for the millionth time to her since last week.

"Would you stop asking me that?"

I came back to where I was not speaking with my inside friend but my outside friend. "Is this even school appropriate?" I asked again.

I really didn't think I should be wearing something like this. Minus the fact that I felt naked, uncomfortable and vulnerable in this costume, it was far too short and skimpy for any school I was sure. Granted, Ino's own was incredulously shorter than mine but that wasn't the point. She knew how much I hated showing my skin and even with the concealer and all these things, I didn't like the whole idea. The makeup to hide my scars hardly did anything because even if people couldn't see them, I still knew that they were there and I would have to worry about it the entire time.

I didn't want Sasuke to see me show so much skin either, I mean, the most revealing thing I'd ever worn would have to be a short sleeved shirt and even then sometimes. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't think I could defend against him like I usually did if he dressed up too. He didn't comprehend how he affected me and sometimes, I didn't even comprehend it but he did it. I was attracted to him in a way I was ashamed and far too embarrassed to fully even admit to myself.

"Don't worry. Sasuke will _love _it on you. He'll undress you a million times." She promised.

My cheeks flushed. "Ino!"

She laughed. "What? Girl you have to give him something to work with." She said. "Besides, don't act like you don't want him to want you. This is the only day it's okay to dress like a slut and no-one says a thing." She said.

"Is that your excuse?" I snickered.

She gapped. "If you must know yes it is and I think Shikamaru could use a little 'easy access' if you know what I mean."

"Oh my god Ino!" I exclaimed. "You have no limits."

She was so confident in who she was and how she looked. She was so different from me and I don't envy but I adore her. Maybe she has never realized it but as her friend, I love who she is and I wish, more often than not, that I was even vaguely like her. To picture my life without her was like living without a backbone. I couldn't do it. Even with all the obvious disaster, she brought some kind of stability.

"There are no limits. There." she said stepping back. "Stand let me have a look at my master piece."

With a heavy sigh I rose and turned to face her. She smacked her lips and me and grinned. "You look sexier than I do. I'm jealous." She smiled.

I tried not to laugh or roll my eyes at her comment. There were so many things wrong with me. I hated being complimented but I didn't want to nag. I looked down at what I had on in horror. "I really don't think we should wear this. We look like sluts."

She sighed. "Sexy sluts I must agree. I feel like you don't understand the school that we go to Sakura. Listen, some people will be wearing no clothes, trust me. We're modestly dressed compared to them, besides if we couldn't wear what we wanted the school board would be hearing from a lot of rich, unhappy parents. We're safe." She said.

I looked at myself in the mirror. Somehow, I didn't repel or disgust myself as much as I usually did. She never ceased to amaze me. I always wondered how she did this, to make me look so different.

Ino had stuffed me into a Pretty Playing Card Costume, with the hat, stockings and everything. She was in an Adult Circus Sweetie Ringmaster costume which I honestly thought was just a little too intense for school. She looked gorgeous as she always did with her hair curled and her high heels. She smiled at me. This was illegal. I should not be wearing this. I _didn't _want to wear this. What would people think when they saw us? However, it wasn't like I could change my mind now. Not after Ino went through so much trouble.

"Admit it forehead. We look very dangerous." She purred. "Don't tell me you're not glad, Sakura you look like a supermodel. Give me some credit."

I sighed. "I do like it." I said lamely.

I felt naked, I had never worn something this…sexual in all my life and I didn't know Sasuke would take it. I wondered if he would hate it or think I looked slutty- which just for clarity I did. I'd never worn something like this and I would be in it all throughout the school day. I shifted in the heels Ino had put me in because well, truly I was pretty short. I tilted my head to side and watched as the hat stayed in place on top of my head. This would be…awkward to say the least. I was doing this for her. I was extensively out of my comfort zone so much that fear started to paralyze me. She didn't understand how much of a huge step this was for me. Today was sunshine, people pleaser, no stress day. That was the deal I'd made with myself.

A honk sounded downstairs and I peeped through Ino's window. I almost choked. I moved away from the window before Sasuke could get out of the car. My heart hammered in my chest. We'd been pretending that everything was fine and that I wasn't like some bomb waiting to explode in his life. I could keep the pretence up, I was good at that but I didn't want to act like this wasn't my fault. It was my fault and I didn't want it sugarcoated. I took deep breaths. I couldn't do this could I?

"Is that him?" Ino asked as she shuffled through her drawer.

"Uh yeah." I said a little light headed.

I didn't want him to see me like this. What if he hated it? What if he didn't want to walk with me dressed like this? So many questions rattled my brain as nerves started to make me tremble. He was such a top notch guy who knew what he wanted at all times. What if this wasn't it? If he hated it, I know he'd want me out of these clothes. He was commanding like that and I would be most obliged to listen to him but I'd feel pretty bad. As if I wasn't good enough to dress like this? Now I was torn. A contradiction to myself like I always was.

She laughed. "Somebody sounds nervous. Sakura, chill would you? You have to own the sexy to sell this costume. I want all eyes on you, your fantastic shape and that big ass of yours. I don't even know how you got the shape, the ass and the boobs. I tell myself it's because you're shorter than I am and they pack you on all sorts of pills so even in sickness, you still look so damn. Not that I look bad or anything." She said laughing.

"I'm too skinny Ino if you hadn't noticed." I mumbled before I could stop myself. Moment of truth, I wanted to slap myself. That is what I hated. I should have taken her compliment with grace and not retorted but my big mouth got the best of me. Of course. This tended to happen every now and then. I wanted to take it back instantly but she spoke before I could.

"No you're not. Why would you even say that?"

I snorted. "When I lie down it's like my ribs poke out."

Truth is that was fact and not opinion. I was skinny. Yes, not skinny like I'm anorexic but I was skinny and I didn't look like a model with it. And I was short, which made it look weird like I was kind of stumpy. Who wants to look stumpy and skinny at the same time? That's supposed to be an impossible feat. If I was taller I would probably maybe look like Ino. Just maybe. Like…by a long shot we're talking here but it was a possibility no matter how minute.

"Foolishness. You're 114 pounds and you're short, it doesn't look like you're slim. It works. Don't get me started." She said like the hardheaded girl she was. "If anything, you should be twig size, did you know that? And you've gained weight –that's a compliment by the way. Three weeks ago, you were way slimmer for your height. And your breasts keep growing. I swear, I don't get it." she said flipping her hair. "Found it."

I looked at her. "What is tha-"

The car horn sounded once again and I sighed. He could be impatient. You would think that after being alive for such a long time, he'd be a patient person. They said patience came with age but he was far too impatient sometimes.

"I'll see you at school forehead. Go before he thinks I'm keeping you hostage. He's anxious to see you." she smiled.

I took a deep breath, waved and headed out of Ino's house. Even with the disaster of the situation, it was almost clearer somehow. Nothing was happening to me, we all knew what was happening to Ino and things seemed to be moving at a pace everyone could keep up with. Things didn't seem so confusing anymore and I wasn't out of loop as I normally would have been. Some part of me had wished though that when I was included in all this information that it wouldn't be about me. I didn't want things to be about me and I didn't want life to keep doing this. I didn't want to admit this to anyone else, ever; not even Sasuke but I wanted this just stop. I wanted to…I wanted this to end somehow. This took so much effort for me to admit to even myself but I hated living. There I said it. But I was being positive about the whole thing because positivity is all I've got.

My mind ran on Atona who I see in class but never says anything to me and doesn't even look at me when we pass each other. A part of me felt terrible like I ruined her life and she wanted nothing to do with me because I'm a terrible person. Yes, we've already established how terrible, selfish and slutty I am. The world knows and I know. But I try not to be that way; don't I get even a little credit for that? I tried to do what she asked me, I tried to leave them alone, I tried not to get in the way…even as futile as it was I tried and if no one could see it, God saw it didn't he?

I hadn't wanted Rin to do what she had done. She had kicked Atona out and only Kami knew how she felt to have her own mother say all those things to her. It's a terrible and awful feeling that never goes away. Some days you don't think about it but other days, it just sits on your chest like the weight you can't get rid of and it hurts. I know the feeling all too well and no one deserves something like that. People shouldn't be treated like that and everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone.

If it had been up to me I would have left the whole situation alone but it was out of my control. The school had called Rin and told her. I didn't. I still felt awful though as if it was my doing and if I had caused all this. Subconsciously, I wondered if I had known what I was doing all along.

_I swear you are such a downer to listen to some times, did you know that? None of this is your fault. You didn't ask to have this all going on, to have people treat you this way, to be this important. You didn't ask for it. This is not a downer day so step up to the plate!_

I sighed. I wanted to believe her but at this point I just couldn't.

I paused in front of Sasuke who just stared at me as if he couldn't even recognize me. I chewed my lip as he observed me from head to toe. He was in costume… I think. He was in a suite and a top had and on his jacket pocket it said **"MOB BOSS"**. He looked very clean, very professional and mysterious and I tried not to laugh. I watched him scrutinize me. He raised an eyebrow and I praised myself for understanding the simple motion. Slowly I turned for him to see.

"I like it." he said finally.

I gapped at him. "Really? You don't want me to change?" I wished desperately he would say yes.

He nodded. "Very, _very_ sexy." He commented opening the door. "Prepare yourself. People will stare."

That was exactly what I was afraid of. Nothing scared me like having people watch me. It felt like they were reading my entire life story, seeing into my past and debating my future. I felt like an object and not a person. I got in and he closed the door. From the rearview mirror I saw a man standing down the street, looking right at us. He looked like a shadow, even in the daylight.

Sasuke started the car and began driving but I could still see him in the rearview mirror. He didn't seem to get smaller as we turned the corner. He was still behind us, the same distance behind us. I couldn't stop staring at him and my heart almost jumped out of my mouth when our eyes finally locked. His gaze was cold like ice and I shivered.

"Who's that?" I whispered.

"Autkio." He said. "He watches you from now on," he shrugged as he started driving.

"Really?"

"Yes really."

"Why?"

"You did not just ask me that." he said.

I smiled. "Am I in danger?" I asked him.

"I'm debating whether you're actually serious. Sakura, someone sent you a cat in a box as a _gift_. Or have you forgotten?" he asked.

My blood chilled. "No I haven't forgotten." I said softly, sinking into the seat.

How could I forget something like that? I could hardly stomach down food since it happened. I kept seeing the cat every time I went into my room and every time I closed my eyes. I kept seeing myself losing my mind and screaming from the sudden abundance of cat heads. It made my skin crawl.

"I don't want anything to happen to you. We've been through this. I can't be around you all the time. You know that. I just want to know you're safe when I'm not around. Of course that means I have to take the necessary precautions here. So yes, he really watches you."

I slumped. Of course, me again. It's always me. I nodded and pulled up my stockings. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and flushed when I noticed he was staring. My heart raced –it always did when he stared at me even glared at me. Always. I smiled. I couldn't help it.

"I like those too." He said slyly.

"Thank you Mob Boss." I teased.

He shook his head. "I have enough trouble controlling myself around you as it is. Now with you dressed like _that _you've given me a very big challenge." He said.

I flushed. "I guess that was the idea." I said, daring to be brave.

He chuckled. "Don't get me started." He warned drawing into the parking lot. "If I do, you'd be sitting there naked and I'm sure you're not ready for that." He promised coming out.

I gapped at him. "No," I said flabbergasted as he opened the door.

He smirked darkly. "You don't know me do you?" he said.

My mouth hung open. "You would?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Ah Sakura, we would never make it to school. But, I can control myself, even though you're sure to make it quite a task today." He said taking my hand and pulling me out of the car. I laughed at him and grabbed my back. "Oh no, now you're just being mean. You are not bending directly in front of me sakura so I can see your ass."

My body shot up like he'd slap me in the face. I jumped around my heart in my mouth. If embarrassment could kill, I'd be dead right then and there on the spot.

"No!"

He glared. "Seriously."

"It's that short!?" I freaked.

Ino was going to destroy me today. She was going to ruin my already messed up life. I tugged down the dress but it was so stuck to me and the fabric wouldn't come down anymore. The color drained from my face. I couldn't wear this! Panic rose in my chest. If I had known it was this short…I felt nauseated all of a sudden.

Sasuke closed the door and grabbed my hands. "Relax," he cooed, pressing my against his car, "I like it short." He said his voice like ice over my skin.

I looked up at him my breath hitching at the tight top of the dress. Oh god. I was embarrassed to admit this but Changling had told me, when you admit things to yourself, you don't have to admit it to anyone else. Still, even now I was ashamed of it but I wondered if Sasuke ever knew how he affected me. I wondered if he knew the dirty thoughts that plagued my mind when he got this close. Thoughts, I was embarrassed to think about, ashamed to even admit I could conjure or even want. I was scared of these thoughts too and the alien feeling that rushed through my veins where he came so close with his warmth, his voice like silk that ran over me and touch I never knew could even exist. I wondered if he understood that I was still a teen girl and I felt the same things as any other.

My heart raced and my breathing increased. He smirked and it was almost like we weren't in the parking lot anymore. He smirked over my lips before he kissed me.

"Let's go." He said taking my hand and pulling me with him.

I looked at my shoes shyly as I walked. I focused on calming my breathing down. Public affection had always been so… public. Yes I know that's why it's called public affection but still. People just watched with eyes like lasers I hardly understood how they even did it.

Everyone had on costumes and I could hardly recognize the school. It had been transformed dramatically over night I had trouble believing it. The amount of money I knew it cost the school to do this. Cobwebs were everywhere, pumpkins and skeletons. The lights in the halls were greens and reds and some halls were almost pitch back. And Ino was right. The costumes that they were all wearing were out of this world, some girls literally had on bras, underwear and feathers saying they were show girls. How could the school allow this? Were they that rich?

People stared at Sasuke and I as we walked to class, meeting up with Naruto who was dressed as a pimp on the way. I couldn't help but laugh at him in his yellow leather pants, green and orange Boogie shirt, purple leather cape-like coat, red top hat and cane. Not to mention his rings and the big chain that said PIMP that dangled around his neck. Sometimes I forget that he was so rich he could afford to waste money.

"You like it right?" he grinned. "You look hot. I've never seen you like this before; I don't know how to react to it." He said.

I could feel myself turning red. "I don't know how to react to it either." I admitted.

"Let me guess, Ino dressed you?"

I flushed. "It's not too short is it?" I asked self-consciously tugging it down.

"Have you seen the costumes around here? Yours is so long you could be getting married compared to them." He said. "Coming to the dance?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, it wouldn't hurt. Who're you going with?"

He grinned. "I asked Hinata last night. She said yes."

"I _knew_ you liked her! I knew it!" I gloated before I could stop myself. "Oh did I know it."

"Liar! You didn't know a thing!"

"Of course I did. I just knew it. I saw the way you looked at her in the meeting. How cute and romantic." I said conjuring hearts in my eyes.

"What's so cute?"

I turned and my face contorted all too quickly. They were making it very easy to bring the sunshine today and I wished they knew how much on the inside I was thanking them for that. I bit my lips, my eyes watering, my cheeks puffing out as I dared not to laugh at Neji. I knew if laughed I wouldn't hear the end of it. Naruto was already laughing like a maniac beside me and I looked at Sasuke, my face turning red as I laughed on the inside. Sasuke bit his lips and was looking everywhere except at Neji who was dressed as –in my opinion- either a homeless person or a Hippie on crack.

Ino was right. This should be interesting.

"Laugh. I dare you Sakura. I _dare _you. This was not my idea." He said in a hard tone.

The laughter came out like a gust of wind without my consent. My hands flew to my stomach as I leaned into Naruto, the laughter simply killing me. I tried to catch my breath.

"His hair!" Naruto laughed.

"I know!" I laughed. Laughter was good for the soul, the best medicine.

Tears left my eyes as stomach cramps raged but the laughter wouldn't stop. What was he wearing? I had never pictured him as this kind of person; he seemed so much like Sasuke that I half expected him not to be in costume. I hadn't expected this as I stared at him.

"No, you…you look great." I smiled.

"Hey, come on guys, not nice. I think he looks handsome." Ino said grinning. "If I wasn't in a thing with Shikamaru, I think we could have arranged something Neji. I love this look on you, it suits you well."

Naruto and I looked at each other again before the laughter started again.

"Neji," I sniffled and smiled. "Nice." I said.

He rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you laughed."

"It wasn't on purpose I swear." I smiled. "I like it."

"Me too bro," Naruto said slapping Neji on the back, "the look suites you. It speaks to me."

At my class door I saw Tenten who was dressed as a girl scout. She waved and I waved back. I hated that we weren't in the same class. The school wasn't in the zone for learning today and Ino had insisted that I did not take any books to school. I now understood why. Everyone was making a fuss over their costumes, talking to each other and taking mountains of pictures. I took a seat and Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah…it is that short." He said answering my question from earlier this morning.

I flushed. "Really!?"

"No, I'm just fucking with you." he smirked.

Shikamaru walked in dressed exceptionally like a homeless person with a piece of cardboard hanging around his neck that said 'I GIVE HEAD FOR CANDY'. I gapped at him, almost mortified. Ino erupted in boisterous laughter and whipped out a chocolate bar from her bag. Halloween and all she brought the goods everywhere.

"Bitch you better get cracking with me tonight!" she said triumphantly.

I couldn't stifle the laugh, it was impossible as Shikamaru looked at Ino like she was a monster. He gripped the cardboard.

"Oh god no," he dreaded looking at me, "Sakura, save me."

"Oh no, you're on your own." I said turning my head, not about to get into their melodramatic escapade.

"Mhm," Ino mumbled, "I have three candy bars, that's three days honey. I'd advise you get the coffee from now because we shall be going very hard." she teased.

With the amount of things happening and all the thoughts plaguing me, even though I didn't deserve it, I enjoyed having it all be pushed to the back of my mind. Sunshine and rainbows were being brought, despite the disaster that was our lives.

The feeling of having friends to laugh with and talk to was the best feeling in this entire world. I didn't know it was possible to feel this happy and this complete. It was beautiful to laugh with these people who laughed with me, to love these people who I knew cared for me and to trust these people who trusted me. We're friends, so close even though we'd only known each other for such a short time. It felt like we've known each other for the longest of time, as if we were all searching for each other and we finally all met up at the same place in the same zone. It was amazing.

I glanced at the door to see Hinata and Tenten walking in. Hinata was dressed as a Hindu woman and she looked gorgeous. Her eyes seemed too serene with the red dot in her forehead and if I looked into them too long, I got that chill but she was beautiful. Like a goddess.

"Hinata!" Naruto roared. "My date for the night."

Her cheeks beamed reds as she sat on Naruto's desk. "Naruto, you don't have to let the world know." she said slowly trying not to stutter.

I was still slightly expecting a teacher to come to our classes and teach because this was still a school but no one came. I supposed Ino was right –as usual. I don't really think I did understand this school and I was starting to think I was having a misconception. At my old school, Halloween was treated like any regular day, we went to classes and we still learnt. The only privilege the school could afford was a dance which I never attended and the opportunity to wear costumes.

Unlike this school, the cafeteria was never transformed and the only place that got slightly moderate decorations would be the auditorium for the school dances and sometimes the basketball inside court. Kanoha High was far more…elaborate in the celebration and the student council seemed quite adamant about the entire affair. The halls were decorated, the cafeteria, the auditorium was under 'Halloween construction' and the inside basketball court was being used as a Halloween display. This was all very alien to me and when I sat down at our lunch table I had to admire the work the school had done.

I knew this was a well upstanding school, I knew the price for attendance wasn't cheap and I knew getting in was even harder. I just hadn't expected them to go all out and no matter how many times Ino told me how this place worked, it was still taking a very long time sink in.

Tenten had made food for her son and all the other's at his day care and had decided to bring food for us too. Sometimes I forgot that she had a life that I knew nothing about, went home to a different environment entirely. Sometimes I forgot what she'd been through and how far she had come and sometimes I forgot that she was a mother. She had brought and array of things but I only took two apples and before I could even sink my teeth into it properly, Sasuke had it in his hand taking a bite.

"For someone who doesn't like human food, you tend to eat out mine a lot." I grumbled.

He looked at me with his gorgeous twinkling eyes. "Be happy I haven't eaten the entire thing. I'm conscious to leave you half." He said placing the now half eaten apple in my hand.

"You're far too kind." I said sarcastically.

"Don't take it for granted."

"Tenten, where are the cookies?" Hinata asked her voice like a gust of wind.

I smiled. She was sitting with us today and I very much liked that. I had thought it would have been a complete disaster, what with two emotionally unstable people sitting around a haywire Empath but we were both keeping ourselves in check. Hinata shouldn't sit alone, it wasn't fair and we had insisted that she sat with us today. Of course Ino was nervous about it but after a while, when nothing happened she decided that it couldn't hurt.

Tenten looked around. "What cookies?" she asked innocently. Hinata grabbed the back pack. "Hinata, put down the bag and no one gets hurt." Tenten said calmly. "Just put it down nice and easy."

Tenten fought to grab the bag from Hinata who was holding it out of her reach. She looked at Tenten with a mocking eye brow. Hinata glanced at me expectantly. I tried not to smile when I realized that without some help, Hinata couldn't get them out. The backpack opened slightly and I could see the cookies.

"Tenten, stop fighting and give up the cookies. This is a sharing table and you must understand that you simply cannot have them all to yourself." Hinata said in a motherly tone. "Now, I would appreciate it if you would stop fighting for them."

"Girl I'm about to snap your damn neck if you don't give me that bag," Tenten warned.

"Since Hinata makes a solid point." I reasoned leaning over the table and snatching the zip lock bag from the back pack in Hinata's hand.

I gingerly inspected the bag along with its contents and deemed the cookies, Cookie Worthy. Truth is, I wasn't supposed to eat cookies but I haven't had one in such a long time that eating one now couldn't possibly hurt. I was allowed one on Halloween, at least.

"Sakura, I will cut you if you dare take a cookie from that bag." Tenten promised.

It didn't matter what Tenten said because before I could even open the bag, Sasuke was already popping a cookie into his mouth. What was wrong with him and eating whatever I had? I just couldn't understand it. He crumbled his face and spit it back out.

"This is terrible."

"What? That's impossible. I didn't go through that entire struggle a bad tasting cookie. Give me that." Hinata said stunned snatching the half eaten cookie from his hand. Silence feel around the table as everyone watched her face. "Sasuke, what are you talking about? This could be classified as the best chocolate chip cookie I've ever had. Almost." She teased.

"I swear, I'll never do this again." Tenten said. "This is ridiculous, how can you just steal my cookies and look at me without remorse? If anything, I should have poisoned it."

"Now that's not nice." I said.

"Exactly and then we couldn't go to the dance." Ino said taking a bite out of my apple. There you go; I lost an entire apple to these vicious beasts. I eyed my second apple. "And that would suck."

If I just ate it as fast as possible, I would be able to eat it all. I took one bit and Sasuke took another without even batting an eyelash. I was starting to wonder if it was a thing for him to take a chunk of an apple any time I ended up getting one. I slumped. I could never win. I settled for two more bites because the wonderful Ino Yamanaka seized the rest.

"Would it though?" Tenten asked. "It's just a dance."

"No, it's _**the **_dance and we have to go. It's going to be fun. Look at this, are you telling me we're not having fun already? We are. Boom! Listening to me means having a good time." she said praising herself like she always did.

"Does everyone have a date?" I asked aimlessly. Cheeks flushed all around me and I raised an eye brow. "Oh. So it's like that huh?"

They laughed. "I guess so," Neji said, speaking for what felt like the first time at the table. "Naruto must have the most dates."

People –me included- hadn't failed to notice the fact that they weren't talking to each other and if they were, it was when no one else was around. Neji didn't acknowledge her and she didn't hesitate to ignore him either. It wasn't my place to prey, I didn't really think Tenten and I were such friends yet as hard as it was to believe. She had divulged many things to me when we first met but since that day, everything was kept closed in her life. I didn't feel like it was my place to ask about it.

"Right," Shikamaru agreed giving Neji a high five. "He's the pimp at the table."

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." He said trying to 'pop his collar' and failing miserably at it.

"Are you guys performing at the dance?" Tenten asked nonchalantly as if Neji hadn't spoken.

I wished so badly that Tenten would talk to someone about what was going on because I knew it was eating her away. I wasn't a shrink or anything but I knew it was a past complex she was experiencing and that it was because of all she'd been through that made this hard for her. However, she was going through something and she needed to talk to someone because if she didn't, things really wouldn't change much and I knew she wanted something to happen between her and Neji. I wanted to help her but I didn't want to cross the yellow line I was standing behind.

Sasuke shrugged. "They asked. We didn't give a definite answer. I'm sure they have a plan B."

"You should perform though," Ino said, "it would be pretty sweet." She commented. "Oh and Sasuke, Sakura's going to be at my house getting ready. You're going to have to pick her up there."

"Which reminds me, why are you at Ino's place?" he asked me.

I smiled. He wasn't going to like my answer. "Rin is out." I said.

He looked at me, that look that told me he knew I was hiding something. Sometimes it wasn't convenient that we had that kind of connection and understanding of each other. Just looking at my face he knew I was holding back and just looking into his eyes, I knew that he knew.

"Out where?"

"She's spending the weekend at Sakura's father's house." Ino replied. "Don't get pissed off, I can't really handle negative vibes right now." she warned.

He looked at me with that penalizing gaze. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't feel it was important, not yet." I said honestly.

I didn't think it was. I didn't think it would be important until she came back and she declared the verdict about the man he was now. I did believe he could change. Our relationship was complicated but I did believe he could change. Everybody could. Change was a choice. People couldn't change if they didn't want to and if Rin told me he changed when she came back, I would believe her. I wanted to forgive him and I was ashamed to admit this but I was desperate for the relationship we once had. I wanted to know that he didn't hate me so badly it wasn't even funny.

Even if I did think it was important, honestly I still wouldn't have told him. I was already a problem and he already had so much dealing with that this would just be another thing about me to worry about. Just for once, I wanted to have good things to say about what was going on, lots of good news for real and I didn't want to weigh him down with more things like this. I didn't want to tell him because he already had so much on his plate. I already knew he tried to hide it and he was doing pretty well but I knew everything wasn't okay. I knew he was stressed out, I knew he was anxious and I knew he couldn't deal with anymore dramatic blows right now. Everyone had a limit and he was no exception.

He needed this good day more than anyone else at the table. He'd earned it and I was going to make sure as his girlfriend I gave him that, no matter what the cost would be. That was the whole point of me doing all of this for Ino and for him. That was the whole point of today being a Sunshine and Laughter day.

I slumped. "Don't look at me like that." I said.

"Like what?"

"Like _that._" I said.

"Fine. I'll pick you up at eight, no problem. If I'm late don't worry."

I shot him a glance. Case in point. I looked at him and dread washed over me. What was he going to do now? Sometimes it was hard to even stomach the thoughts that raged through my head. I knew there was a dark side to him he couldn't bear to show me. I couldn't deny that, even with how much of a good person he was. I didn't want him doing dangerous things and there was no way I could not worry. Anything could happen to him and he did things that even now I still won't know about. However I understood that he had things to do and sometimes, it was best not to tell me about it. I knew that if I didn't exist he wouldn't be so stressed and wouldn't have so many things on his mind. For some reason and I guess this was due to things that existed between us, but I knew that whatever he was going to do had something with me.

"What are you going to do?" I asked even though I knew he wouldn't answer.

I frowned. Of course I never got the answers out of him even when I answered all his questions. How unfair was that?

"Don't do your face like that, you look less sexy." He smirked.

"Not nice." I said rolling my eyes.

"See, I told you." Ino said. "He wants you bad."

"Alright no, just…no." Sasuke said holding his hand up. "Stop right there Ino. We are not talking about this."

"And why not?" Ino demanded with a raised eyebrow and a vindictive smile as if she was about to reveal something treacherous. Oh No. "What? You think I don't know you want to get up in those lace panties of hers?"

I almost died. I was insanely close to death in that moment. What was Ino doing?! Naruto and Neji choked on their juice, Hinata stopped mid-chew of a cookie and Tenten just gapped at her like a fish out of water like I did.

"Good Lord." Shikamaru chuckled. "She has nothing called tack. Nothing."

Ino shrugged. "What? Like hello, I'm feeling the vibes here. Please, keep thinking I don't know. Both of you. And you wonder why I'm horny all the damn time, it's not always Shikamaru just so you know- no offence Babe. You need to drop to fucking second base already because it's killing me here." she said matter-of-factly. "I mean, Sakura I love you and all but allowing a little grouping –not sex because that would make me a bad friend and I would be pissed at you if you did that and I'd probably try to kill you- but a little grouping wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Alright I think that's enough." Naruto said coughing. "Sakura looks like she might pass out."

Sasuke pushed my jaw up, closing my mouth that had been hanging open. Today was very interesting as embarrassment killed me. How could Ino be so frank and brave about everything? She didn't know the meaning of fear or shame. She was so confident and powerful, like she could even defy nature. She smiled. I blew out a long breath. Wow. What a change in topic. I didn't know how to react, I could barely admit these things to myself.

"Sorry. My tongue got loose," she laughed.

I shook my head sadly but I really couldn't say anything to her now could I? This was just who she was. After spending so much time with her, I was surprised by her antics but I was also used to them. She was the talkative one who had always had a problem with keeping her beliefs and opinions to herself. I ran my fingers through my head and Ino smiled. I watched as something evil brewed in her eyes.

"Not cool," Naruto mumbled.

"Alright let me get this straight, am I under the misconception that we're all friends who can trust each other? Because I don't think I am the only one seeing that we're in a whole bunch of shit and will be in even more shit if Shikamaru is right and we're basically all screwed. I hope you guys don't believe that because I talk about Halloween that I don't understand the situation." she said seriously.

"You're not wrong." Neji said.

"Then hey, why keep secrets that aren't really secrets? Besides, let's not all pretend that because of how Sakura is, that she's not just like me. Because she is. On the inside. Every teen is like me on the inside and if they're not, a girl wild like me lives inside of them somewhere. Fact."

"I am not like you." I said flabbergasted. "How can you even say that?" I laughed

Ino grinned. "Sakura don't let me start popping some bubbles here,"

I stared at her. "You wouldn't, ever, say anything. That was nothing and it was like…once. Like really? That doesn't make me like you."

She tipped her head back and laughed, her hair swinging like a separate entity behind her. Her eyes twinkled and her grin widened. She was relentless.

"I take it this is where I ask: what was one time?" Sasuke asked curiously.

My cheeks got hot like red peppers. Ino wouldn't dare tell him would she? Of course not but then I saw her mouth opened and again embarrassment killed me right there.

"So when we were kids we use to take these dance classes. I convinced her it was exercise for us to get her to join me. Sakura was spending a week with me when we were fourteen and this lady who Midnight as a stripper was 'babysitting' us. She was pretty cool. Of course my parents didn't know her backdoor profession, no shit. Let's just say, Sakura has more moves than I do." she said taking a swing from her water, spreading wide red lips to show pearly white teeth.

"No way." Naruto said choking.

"Oh that's a lie, right Sakura?" Tenten asked.

I sat there and stared paled face at the table. I wished the world would open up and swallow me. If this was going to continue, I couldn't face the rest of the day. I wasn't equipped for it, not if Ino was going to divulge all these embarrassing things. There is a level of familiarity and comfort within our friendship. There was a level of nakedness between us that…being me was so much easier with her.

That was… Ino was the one who forced me to dance and it was just us girls. We weren't dancing with or for anyone and we had stupid music playing and Keeli was teaching us how to 'seduce' and how to 'be sexy in our hips' and it was such good girl time. I was fourteen and being chaperoned by Moonlight stripped and Dominatrix, that was enough reason and she insisted on teaching us and honestly, it had been a whole lot of fun. Of course I've never done those moves in front of anyone. She had bucked the music, closed the shutters and well…you know how she is. It wasn't a talent or anything and I would have never told anyone about that either. I wasn't even healthy enough to do anything.

"It was all innocent fun." I mumbled.

Sasuke chuckled. "I never knew this." he said.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Sakura can't take the embarrassment, Ino you're killing her." Neji said smirking. "But maybe that's what she gets for laughing at me his morning."

I tangled my hands in my hair and the embarrassment only grew inside of them. I felt even more exposed than before; even more naked. I ripped open the chocolate bar I had sneakily taken from Tenten and took a bite. Before I could take another bite the bar was gone. I gapped at my empty hand. I slumped. I looked up to see Sasuke passing the bar to Naruto.

"Here, she's not supposed to eat this."

"What? Just one more bite, it's not going to kill me." I frowned.

He cut a glance my way. "How do I know that? I feel like I don't know you anymore. You dance now?"

I laughed. "Oh that was so low, even for you Sasuke." I said slinking my arm around his wonderfully comfortable and strong frame, placing my head on his chest.

Who would have thought that a day would come when I ever did something like this? A day when I could be so comfortable with another person that wasn't Ino to invade their personal space without even a thought? Who would have thought that I would have friends and wear costumes and decide to go to dances? I never thought I would get here. I never thought I would have someone…someone like this. His arm fell around my shoulder keeping me squished against him and I felt my heart explode. This is what being cared for felt like.

The lunch went on and the day seemed to have ended faster than I thought it would have. I tried my hardest not to think about all the things that happened over the week. It was only the end of October, almost no time had passed yet it felt like everything had changed over a very long period of time.

I sat outside in the parking lot on Sasuke's car as we waited for Ino to emerge from wherever she'd ran off to after school. It was hard for me to sometimes really understand that he actually and genuinely cared about me as he stood in front of me, hands on my waist talking to me. He talked to me, like actually talked to me. Sure he didn't say a lot most of the times, he actually said very little and brushed of most of my questions but he talked to me more than anyone else. He slid between my legs and I rested my head on his chest and mumbled in response. We didn't talk about the obvious situation and I personally didn't want to talk about it much either. I was happy to not have to think about it.

Ino had to practically drag me out of his hold to get me in her car when she returned. He promised to pick me up and not to think he stood me up if he was late. I got in the car and decided I had nothing to worry about. I trusted him; he'd take of himself, right? Today had been good so far and the ultimate test now was to make sure he enjoyed his time at the dance. Dangit! I wanted him to be happy! Today has to go well.

"Would you stop freaking out like a nerd already?" Ino asked coming out of her shower as I lay on her bed. She sighed and used her towel to towel dry her hair and now she was naked. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not freaking out."

"Oh yes you are." Ino said. "Relax a little. Everything will be fine and whatever." She took a seat around her little 'beauty station' and started examining her face. "Today was a good day."

She looked at her face from every possible angle there was, stretching her cheeks, pulling up her eyebrows, inspecting her teeth and her neck. She examined her tongue, her lower chin and her hair line.

"Do you like this Ino?" I asked softly.

She turned to me in her chair. "Huh, what'd you say?"

"Do you like this?"

"Like what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

I waved my hand around. "All this."

She turned to her mirror and started to comb out her wet hair with a large comb. "Of course I like all this. Why wouldn't I? Mundane lives are for losers and we're not losers. This is…weird, I have to give it that but I wouldn't have it any other way. This gives me a story to tell."

"But aren't you worried?"

"Sakura, of course I am, what kind of question is that? But I mean, what the hell are we going to do? It's not like we can just turn around and walk out on it. This is slowly becoming our lives now, there isn't much we can do but accept it. And I mean, really, it isn't that bad. It's hard and I know shit only gets worse for me and whatever is going on but we just have to woman up and deal with it." she said matter of factly.

"I just don't know what to do anymore." I sighed.

"That's because there isn't anything you _should _being doing except taking care of yourself. Really, that's it. You worry too much, take it from me." she said soothingly.

"Ino, this can only get uglier and it's-"

"We've only been here two months. It feels like much longer than that but when you check out, that's basically it. There isn't anything we can do and we can't just stop living our lives because of this and sit around waiting for the big KABOOM, whatever that's supposed to be. Let's just try to have a good night and make good memories for a change. It's about time we started doing that." Ino reasoned.

"I'm just not sure about this dance."

"I know that, it's your first dance ever, of course you're going to be nervous but you know it'll be alright. Stop freaking out, you'll get worry lines and that's not attractive." She said lightly. "Now, it's going to take us a while to get ready, we have to eat and I've got some changes to make to your dress. Go shower." She instructed.

"What changes?"

"Accessibility changes." Ino teased. "Sakura, this is going to be a great dance. You're going to have a good time. Sasuke is going to have a good time and well, it'll be the shit." Ino reasoned. "Shower, like right now."

~O~

Sakura smiled the satisfaction swelling in her like never before. She wasn't putting much effort into this but at the same time she was. She ignored all the stares, all the chatter and alienation from the rest of the school. They were never one and the same to begin with, their disgust and their pity she refused to notice and she was not going to fail tonight.

He didn't tell her that he was having a good time but he didn't have to. She could feel it and she knew him enough to know that he didn't really like when she was able to tap into him like that. Yet, here she was and with such ease able to identify it.

She hadn't been to a dance before and this was her first time and she had to admit it wasn't as bad as she thought it would have been –even with the hate and everything else. The music was loud, the costumes were extensive, the auditorium had been wonderfully decorated and people were laughing, dancing and drinking. She could see couples in corners all cuddling and talking, kissing and showing affection and never had Sakura thought that she would be one of them. Tonight she was.

They had retired to a corner near the back of the room where the neon lights neglected to flash, enveloped in each other's company. They had been with the group but Ino went to dance with Shikamaru in her glorious hotness and confidence, pulling envy out of every woman who saw her with the famous and well known Shikamaru. She simply devoured the attention.

Naruto and Hinata had 'vanished' almost half an hour ago and no one intended to go and look for them. Sakura didn't want to assume what was going on; she wasn't that kind of person. Awkwardly Tenten had excused herself and no one had seen her return just yet and Sakura was starting to assume that she didn't feel comfortable. She wanted to go and check on her however, Sasuke refused to let her go anywhere. Her place was now in the corner he had said and she wasn't allowed to go anywhere else.

Neji had brought a date, it wasn't as if it was a hard thing to get considering every girl in all of Konoha and then some would die to have him breathe on them. He didn't really loiter around them for most of the night and she assumed it was out of respect for Tenten and he didn't want to make things award or make her feel bad.

"That's not the problem." His eyes danced and twinkled in starlight darkness.

"Oh? Then what could possibly be the issue?"

His eyes darkened. "Are you sure you want to go there?"

"I just want to know what you're getting at is all."

His hand slid up the rip of her dress. "There is this." his hand bucked at the end of her panty hose, his fingers snaking around the claps that held her underwear and the stockings together and she looked down at his hand almost hypnotized. Where his flesh touched hers felt hot, as if he was setting her skin on fire. His other hand sank down in the dip of her neck line. "There is also this. I didn't know you had so much…of a handful." he said.

"This is hardly my fault." She flushed, her cheek burning hot, blood draining from her head making her light headed. From his simple touch she'd already started trembling and panicking. She felt like her knees would give out. Did he know how he affected her?

He leaned back and slumped. "Have some mercy on my poor soul is all I'm asking. Never let her dress you again. I can hardly deal with this and you're so damn beautiful as it is without this."

"I think if you thought I was hideous it would defeat the whole laws of attraction." She pointed out.

"Don't get smart." He said casting seductive orbs her way. They were trapped in their own bubble, not music no lights…just them. "You make want to do things," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Me?" She asked innocently.

She watched Sasuke's eyes turn to slits and his tongue run over his teeth very slowly before tucking in the pocket of his jaw. The simple movement seemed so seductive and erotic that Sakura's eyes followed every single movement. His hands smoothed around her waist to her back before cupping her ass and tugging her to him. She squeaked but he didn't even budge or make any attempts to let her go.

"Don't. Tempt. Me." His voice like wind snaked around her ears as he spoke, his mouth dangerously close to her neck.

Her hands pressed against his chest and her head swayed. She took deep sharp breath, trying to calm herself but she couldn't. She dared look up at him and he was looking at her with challenge. She pressed her lips together but smiled anyways.

"I won't let you intimidate me." She said her voice wavering.

"No?"

"No." She said.

A feather kiss planted on her neck and she shivered. "There are many ways I can intimidate you." he said trailing the kisses higher. He felt her knees tremble and he smiled over her flesh. He leaned back and smiled. It was a real smile, a full blown out smile. "But I won't do that." he said.

She laughed. "You're going let me win this time?"

He nodded. "Just this once. It's only fair, I know it's hard to resist my charm." He said.

"Good and as the winner, I earn a bathroom break."

He released her. "By all means." He said.

She laughed and every minute she looked back as him as she left the noisy auditorium and went to the bathroom.

Sakura looked at her oily face in the girl's bathroom. She was grinning from ear to ear and she just couldn't stop it. Tonight had her more nervous than any other point throughout the day. He was having a good time; she knew it and she could feel it and she couldn't even explain how happy that was making her. She didn't think it was fair for him to have so much on his plate yet no time to enjoy the little things. She'd never been this relaxed with him before either she had to admit that she was having one of the most amazing times. She'd never been this comfortable with him before, never this at ease and she wondered if he noticed.

The school knew how to have a dance; she had to admit it for it was exceeding all her expectations. She might not understand a lot of things about the school or see the point of wearing costumes to school and then to the dance, but she saw the point of the fun. Her first time at a dance wasn't as bad as she thought it would have been.

Given the series of past events, people seemed to have 'sympathized' with her and of course, she wouldn't let anyone to know how much she hated that. It was just that most of the girls seemed to have left her alone for a while. That was a good thing but what they were saying behind her back, well that was another story. Of course they all thought Sasuke was with her out of pity and maybe he was, she didn't know but if he was, he was doing her a favor.

She turned on the tap and opened the clutch purse Ino had loaned her. She quickly took her medication and washed her hands. There were so many things going on in their lives that seemed forgotten. Her resolve was strong and unshaken, even if it meant doing it by her cells alone, she was going to ensure that Sasuke had a night like no other and she was doing a great job so far. It seemed impossible to repay him for all he'd done for her so far yet she was trying to find some way to do it. As short a time as it had been, she felt like it had been so much longer.

She let out a sigh and headed to the door when it opened and the devil herself walked in. She was dressed as an Angel, go figure with a crooked halo attached to her head. She smiled with Hanabi and the unknown girl falling in behind her, also dressed as angels.

"Sakura, funny seeing you in here." Tami said her voice a string of darkness. The alluring kind.

She couldn't deny that Tami was gorgeous, even with her nose too straight, she was beautiful but Sakura wasn't happy to see her. She had a plan to carry out and she didn't want to face Tami now.

Hanabi turned and locked the bathroom door. "You know, I almost felt sorry for you but then I realized that was your plan all along. What a card to play. Wouldn't you agree Tami?" she asked.

"Of course I agree and after much consultation with myself, I've figured it all out." she said stepping towards Sakura with intent. "You thought I forgot about you didn't you? I know I've led you to believe that I accept breakups silently and that I will hate you from a far but I'm not that kind of girl. I'm not over you taking my boyfriend but the events have enlightened me. See, I know Sasuke is with you out of pity. I know because believe it or not, he has a little heart. However, we both know that pity doesn't last long now don't we?" she asked.

Sakura stepped back. "I don't know what you're talking about." she said.

Tami laughed. "Of course not because you don't know shit. You're just a bimbo slut; I don't expect you to know much. Let me make it as clear as possible, so even you can understand. I will wipe you off the face of this planet in due time, sleep with your eyes open because you've never met a girl like me. I don't take kindly to others taking what doesn't belong to them and Sasuke doesn't belong to you. He belongs to me and what is mine is _mine_. You _**will **_be out of the picture soon."

"And out of the lives and memories of anyone who has wasted their precious time knowing you." Hanabi said smiling. "Bitches like you never get very far."

"Exactly." Tami said nonchalantly leaning on the sink. "I'm trying to be as kind as possible about this to prevent things from getting dirty. Really I'm doing you a favor here and all I'm asking you to is kindly to leave Sasuke alone. Just leave him be, have a conscience and go home tonight. He's not supposed to be here with you as it is. You don't go well with him, I see it, you see it and well honey, everyone else sees it. You're trash and trash doesn't go well with gold I'm afraid." She said looking at her perfectly manicured nails.

"There's a back exit, take it and get the fuck out of here." The other girl finally said. "We don't want you here."

"Or things will get pretty ugly for you." Tami said. "You don't want me as an enemy."

Sakura took a deep breath. If she wasn't so hell bent on this or so determined, she would have tried to comply with them but she just simply couldn't. That would spoil his night and she wouldn't do such a thing. She just **could not **so such a thing. That would defeat the sole purpose of tonight and the quest she was walking with. This was far more important to her than any consequence that would come her way. She swallowed.

"I can't leave." She said kindly.

Tami looked at her incredulously. "I'm sorry, what was that? I think I went delusional and you said the unfathomable."

"I cannot leave." Sakura repeated.

Tami pushed herself off the sink and backed Sakura into a stall door. "I'm not fucking asking you to leave this damn dance, I'm telling you. I don't care what you want to do, you are going to leave or I'll make you wish you had." she sneered.

"I'm not leaving." Sakura said again.

Of course Sakura was trembling on the inside; tearing apart at the seams but someone once told her that courage wasn't the absence of fear. She just refused to let this night go down the drain. She was not going to be a burden to Sasuke tonight, she wasn't going to have him fret and worry about her. She was tired of her sickness ruining everything, tired of having him take care of her and rush her to the hospital and she was sick and tired of knowing that every minute he worried about her and didn't have a second of his own to breathe. Tonight was going to be free, cool and smooth. She wasn't going to give him anything to worry about. _**She would not do it.**_

Tami laughed. "You know I did my nails today." She said to no one in particular.

"Tami, don't. Not tonight." The other girl said.

Tami sneered. "Shut up." she said sharply. "Since you're used to this kind of treatment, I think it's what you like. That's why I don't feel sorry for you." She said grabbing Sakura by her hair and chucking her into the bathroom sink.

Tami's gold stiletto slammed into Sakura's stomach so hard Sakura's body hit the floor with an audible thud. Tami was raging and screaming but with Tami's foot slamming into her chest and into her abdomen with so much force, Sakura could hear absolutely nothing else. A hand vengefully grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the floor, Sakura's retaliation not enough due to the pain coursing through her stomach. Getting on her knees Tami gripped Sakura by the throat.

"I don't think he hit you hard enough when you were a kid. You will leave Sasuke alone." She said slamming Sakura's head against the wall. She made a kiss sound when blood splattered from Sakura's mouth. "If you won't leave him Sakura, bet your slutty ass I'll make sure he leaves you." She rose and laughed. "You don't look too good. I think you should go to the hospital." She said.

"Oh, would you like us to get Sasuke for you?" Hanabi asked. "Such a shame, all you do is ruin his fun." She laughed.

"Well, we'll just leave you to decide the course of action you'll take." Tami said. "I just love your costume. It would look way cuter on me though," She sneered unlocking the door and sauntering out.

Sakura gasped and groaned, her eyes welling with tears unshed. Taking a deep breath she gripped the bathroom sink and dragged herself to her feet, ignoring the burning pain in her stomach. She swallowed and her chest burnt before she coughed, vomiting all the food she'd eaten throughout the day. Her elbows rested on the sink, hands shaking as she puked, watery liquid coming out. Such a waste to know everything she ate was finding its way out the same way it came. The asthma started to sneak out but Sakura was quick as she bent and pulled the pum from her purse without even taking the pump up. Vomiting tired her but Sakura washed out her mouth and looked at herself in the mirror.

She shook her head. No. she wasn't going to let Tami win, not tonight. Sakura gritted her teeth and snatched her clutch from the floor. She fixed her makeup, fixed her hair and her costume and pressed her lips into a hard line. She was going to give Sasuke a good night even if it fucking killed her. She swore down to her core that nothing was going to ruin this night. Her eyes darkened to a hot, viscous green with the center an electric pink with determination. Sakura –pain slicing her like never before- walked out of that bathroom like nothing happened. Tami was not going to win tonight. _I'm walking out on Sasuke's arm tonight even if it kills me. _She said making her way to the auditorium.

Sasuke was standing at the entrance to the auditorium. "I thought you left me." he said.

She smiled radiantly. Somewhere she didn't feel like herself. "I considered eloping with the janitor but then I changed my mind." She said wrapping her hand around his arm. "I couldn't bear to leave you."

"It's the beauty of my face, isn't it?"

"Why yes it is. You're just so handsome," she laughed.

He smirked. "Oh stop it; you're going to make me blush." He said as he pushed the doors open and the entered into the party once more. Sasuke leaned into the ears, "I think you've rendered every woman here jealous tonight." He said.

She smacked her lips and smirked. "I haven't given them anything to be jealous about but tonight, I'm okay with that." she said softly.

"We haven't given them anything to be jealous about?" he inquired.

"I don't think we have." Sakura said walked with him through the dance floor.

"How about we fix that?" he whispered tugging her body to his, onyx eyes dancing.

Sakura laugh, partly because his stubble action sent pain racing through her lower body and she didn't want to him to notice. "You are having a good time aren't you?"

"I most certainly am." He said his voice ashy as his lips hovered above hers. "How about you make the last move?"

"Why should I?"

"Well let's see," he said rolling his eyes to the ceiling, "you've never kissed me before."

_Sakura we're not making this girl win._

Sakura's eyes darted around the dance floor nervously. She wasn't a big fan of being noticed but when her eyes locked with Tami's some demon in her hit against her body with rage.

_Do it! _

Their lips touched. Heaven sent.

_**Well guys, there you have it. Another chapter added to the story and you realize that for the first time, Sakura's 'Inner' took control of her body twice in one night? Have you guys realized that? The pieces of the puzzle guys are being put together at this point so stick with me. **_

_**PS: SMILE AND LAUGH. IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW HARD THEY HIT YOU BUT ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES YOU GET UP AFTERWARDS. IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING SCARED, IT'S ABOUT BEING AFRAID AND DOING IT ANYWAYS. IT'S NOT ABOUT PAIN AND SADNESS BUT IT'S ABOUT THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE TO GET UP AND FACE THE WORLD EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOU ARE LOVED, YOU ARE WORTHY AND YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!**_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**WELCOME! **__**Guy's I think this is the longest chapter in the history of long chapters. **__I thought about splitting it but it just wasn't one of those chapters I though should be split. Too many emotions and elements tangled in this one to make this into two chapters. You'll see just how many emotions our characters experience through their little 'road trip'. Remember, keep close eyes on the chapters to note if I'm losing track, I'm counting on you guys to keep me inline here. _

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no **__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty Seven]**

Sasuke looked at Sakura like she had lost her mind. He looked at Naruto for some advice but all the idiot did was shrug and look around, refusing to get into their little quarrel. This wasn't something he wanted to discuss with her and she had told him weeks ago that she didn't even want to come. That she didn't think she was ready to take such a big step in her life yet and she was going to stay home. He had been counting on that.

He also hadn't forgotten the little stunt she had pulled. She went to the hospital the Saturday after the dance and they had her there for three days and they refused to allow him to see her. She herself wouldn't even talk to him about it no matter how hard he bothered her about it. The next Saturday came and she was there until Monday morning.

He was starting to think something was fishy but she'd gotten good at hiding the things she didn't want to him to find out about. He knew he would end up pressing her about it and that would irritate them both. This just wasn't a good idea. Not to mention the kinds of conditions they would be venturing off into. It wasn't safe for in those kinds of environments. He should have known she wouldn't want him to go without her. He was just…hoping.

"Sakura, I don't think you should come to any of these." He said again. "It is not a good idea."

She shook her head. "I think I should go. This is important and I want to go, come on Sasuke stop being that way." She pouted.

"I never said it wasn't important." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, taking a seat on the side walk next to his car. "Why must you be so difficult?"

"I am not. Sasuke, you said it yourself that we have to do this. I won't come inside of course but I just want to be there. I think I need to face this even a little bit. Besides, I could be useful. I could confirm whatever that goes on." She insisted.

"Sasuke she's right. This involves her and it's her call." Shikamaru said in a tone mixed with annoyance and laziness. He wasn't looking forward to this, Sasuke knew this. "This is already very troublesome. Let's just go already."

"Yes, we need information and we need to get going. Besides, don't act like you don't want her around. This is going to be a long day, you could use your woman." Naruto teased.

Sakura smiled, slapping Naruto on the shoulder. "Exactly! See Naruto sees where I'm coming from! I can always count on him." she grinned. "So I'm coming?"

"You're coming." Neji said before Sasuke could open his mouth.

Sakura looked at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow and he sighed. "I've clearly been out voted so, just get into the car. You just love getting what you want."

She grinned. "Road trip! I've never been on before! How exciting! This is going to be so much fun." She yelled. "Let me get some stuff."

"You need to get stuff?" He inquired.

"Well of course I have to get stuff Sasuke. I can't go on a road trip without some stuff. So, the stuff I shall go and get."

"And you can't wear that." Sasuke said.

Sakura sputtered like a dying engine. "What? What'd you mean I can't wear this? What's wrong with what I have on?"

"Where we're headed after we go to visit your mother Sakura is very, very hot. You have on too much clothes,"

"Trying to get her naked I see," Shikamaru teased. "Very smart."

Naruto coughed audibly and hi-fived Shikamaru. "Well played Sasuke but I don't think now is the right time for this." he laughed.

Sakura flushed. "But I-"

"Bring shorts and a tank top or something. If you don't then Shikamaru is right, you might be walking in naked, I don't mind it gives me something to look at to take my mind off things. Or you can do what I tell you and _not come with me._"

Sakura glared playfully. "Nice try. You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm coming." she said going into the house.

Sasuke shook his head sadly and tried to see how this day was going to unfold. Sasuke wanted to get this out of the way and so today they were going to visit Sakura's mother in the mental home in her old town and then they were going to go and visit the dreaded and sexual Kurenai. Truly, Sasuke wasn't looking forward to either of the encounters today. He didn't want to voice his thoughts but truly he was afraid of what he might learn. He was scared. From Shikamaru's entire theory, if was right, where would they go from here? He had no idea and as the leader, he wasn't allowed to be clueless for people looked to him for directions.

How would this change everything if there was yet another soul inside of Sakura? What could they do if it was the cause of all of this? How wasn't this killing her? To have his soul alone inside of her was enough to kill her as it was, with two souls inside of her plus her own, how was she surviving? Humans couldn't bare so much. He smiled internally. He had known Sakura was stronger than the rest from the day he spoke to her.

They had so much to do and he felt almost like there was not enough time. According to Hinata they would have to go to the Agape Forest and he knew that would drain everything out of them. He didn't even want to think about how worried Sakura would be when he was gone for so long on something so dangerous, not to mention how she would deal with school. Everyone had been treating her different, worse on the insides, faking and he knew it bothered her more than she let on. What would they even do when they find the God and set up the ceremony? How could they really fix this entire mess?

She came out, smile on her face with her Dora bag in her hand. He smirked. She was stronger than she knew; he just wondered how she didn't see it. She just lit up the room every time she came in with that smile that seemed to out shine a thousand suns despite all the pain she walked around with physical, emotional and mental. She paused, gripped her chest and coughed nastily. It was one of those hacky, pneumonia, humid kind of coughs. The kind of coughs she'd been having very, very often along with all those asthma attacks. She smacked her lips and wrinkled her face.

"I thought they looked at that." he said.

She smiled. "They say it's nothing. Just asthma." she assured him brushing him off as she usually did every time he tried to talk to her about that wet hacky cough she'd been having for weeks. "Are we ready?" she asked.

He nodded. "I suppose so. Do you have everything?"

She nodded and her smile widened. He'd never admired someone as much as he admired her. He couldn't come to terms with how her parents treated her this way. He knew there was so much more things they had done to her that she just hadn't told him, many things had happened that she would never disclose for now and he knew they were things he could hardly even think about. Even after what he'd heard they'd done to her already. Why? He just didn't get it.

Everyone got into their cars and they headed out to their first destination. The mental home.

The ride was very easy and light hearted. Conversation seemed to flow out of them like the constellations at night and the constant love of the moon and sun in their routine. He loved the tint of sexuality and the ease and comfort with which she found herself. He loved the warmth that seemed to coil in his heart like never before. She was like summer, breaking out to melt the snow that was his winter.

He did his best to get her to laugh which was fairly easy to do and she managed to edge smiles into his face with her ridiculously confessions. It was almost a two hour ride to the town and then another hour to the mental home. He worried how Sakura was going to react to all of this. That was one of the reasons he didn't want her to come, he didn't know how things would go down and frankly, he couldn't deal with anything over-stressing right now. Really he couldn't.

Sakura seemed to be engrossed in her town as Sasuke drove through the streets, thanking Kami for tinted windows so people couldn't know they were inside. She pointed out so many places, revealing the stories behind them that he enjoyed hearing, drowning in her memories –the good ones. It was nice to know there was actually such a thing in her life as good memories.

"Why don't we roll the windows down?" she asked.

Sasuke glanced at her. "You're joking right?"

"What?"

"Sakura, do you know why you're not all over the news and in the media when you're with me? Let me answer that. Tinted windows Sakura, tinted windows. One picture and you'll never have a private life every again. The fan girls would devour you. School protocol is the only thing keeping the girls at school behind the yellow line. No pictures and no autographs allowed." He said.

"Right, you're like, the want of the entire world." She teased.

"Pretty much."

"I tend to forget sometimes. How grand. It's amazing how you keep this entire secret." She said.

The streets were packed with cars and he felt like it would take forever before they got where they needed to go. Angrily Sasuke assaulted his horn as they moved at what felt to him like snail pace to their destination.

"This traffic is ridiculous." He said, slamming his hand on his horn and keeping it there.

"What are you nuts?" she yelled for other car horns were being honked in the process. "For an old man, you're pretty impatient."

"Old man? Excuse me; does this look like the face of an old man? I'm actually offended." He said hitting his horn with aggression.

After Sakura insisted that he not touch the horn of his car again or she was getting out, he decided to behave himself. However, the traffic was atrocious in the town that he could hardly believe it. It reminded him of Kanoha streets on Friday around ten in the morning. Finally they pulled into the small compound and parked to the side in the designated area out front of the home. Sasuke looked at her.

"Are you sure you want to come in?"

"I don't have to see her. I just… want to know that I can do it." she said reluctantly.

He nodded and they got out. Naruto bent touching his toes, stretching himself and managing effortlessly to look like a complete idiot. Sasuke shut off his phone as did everyone else and they made their way inside.

It looked exactly like how Sasuke had expected it to look. Boring. It was the kind of place that made you insane instead of curbing it. The walls were white, the colors cool colors, all boringly mixing and mingling into the furniture. It was so silent and bland it looked more like a retirement home than a mental home. He was already having a headache.

He watched the nurses in their light blue coats and white shoes shuffle about, glancing at them from the corner of their eyes. Of course they were known here. Fame tended to do that.

"Damn, where's the color in this place?" Naruto asked looking around.

"We believe that cool colors stimulate calmness and peace in our patients here at Yorokobi Institute." The woman at the desk smiled, her eyes glazed over as she stared with hearts in her eyes at Neji. "How may we help you?"

"Yes, we're here to visit someone." Shikamaru said.

He glanced at Sakura standing behind Sasuke's broad figure who took a deep breath. Sasuke could feel Sakura's delicate fingers holding on to his shirt behind him. He felt like he was protecting a small school girl. He stood there for it was her decision to step aside, not his. He couldn't decide if she was ready for this or not.

She moved around Sasuke to face the woman at the front desk whose eyes almost bulged out of her head. Sasuke could tell she hadn't said her mother's name in the longest of time and this was the second biggest feat for her. She placed a small smile on her face and placed her hand on the desk. She swallowed.

"We're here to visit Mebuki Haruno." She said.

The woman looked at Sakura like she was from another planet. She clutched her heart and Sakura just stood there, rocking back and forth on her heels waiting patiently. Sakura's expression was almost glazed over with glass as she stared almost bored, waiting for the dramatic reaction to be over. Neji looked at Sakura.

"You know her?"

"We've been acquainted." Sakura replied.

"Sweet mercy, I bear witness to this child's face again!" she exclaimed no longer with heart filled eyes but with eyes filled with tears.

Without warning she moved from around the desk and drew Sakura in a hug that seemed strong enough to crack ribs. Her sobs came from the inner tremors of her heart and Sakura hugged in return but to Sasuke's astonishment, she hugged with almost no compassion. The woman held Sakura at arm's length, looking at her from head to toe.

"I can't believe it's you! Sakura, I haven't see you since…" she trailed off. "You're even more beautiful than I remember!"

"Thank you Mataki." Sakura said politely.

She sighed and wiped her eyes. Her smile was serine and pained. "I never thought I'd see the day you walked back into this place, in this town." She said. She looked at everyone, seeing them all now as teenagers without fame attached to their name. They were no longer like Gods in her eyes. "If you're all here to see her, you all can't go in. Only three people at a time and visiting hours are almost over. Only two and a half more hours."

"I'll stay out here," Naruto said.

Sakura nodded. "I'll stay too."

Sasuke looked at her with a raised eye brow. "Is there anything you want me to say?"

"No, not if she doesn't have anything to say. If she has nothing to say then neither do I. Don't worry about it." she smiled patting his arm. "I have Naruto to keep me company."

"And really Sasuke I'm all she needs." Naruto gloated, dropping his hands around Sakura's shoulders. Sakura rolled her eyes playfully.

She was so small he realized as he looked down at her. He nodded, kissed her forehead ever so softly and made his way to the room Mataki had told them Mebuki was in. Down the end of the hall, turn left, then turn right and it was the third white door.

What had that encounter been about? He hated how much he still did not know and he feared what he was about to find out. He was the leader in all of this and he didn't know how to lead anymore. It was as if everything he had ever known, been trained to know and been born with in his blood was not enough to guide him through this. He tried very hard not to let Sakura feel his dread and anxiety; she didn't need that with how much of a worry head she was already.

Sasuke stood in front of the door with Shikamaru and Neji on either of his sides. He knocked with clarity and her voice rang out with a tenderness that he thought only Sakura's voice could possess.

"Please Sasuke, come in." she said warmly.

Slowly he gripped the knob and opened the door. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her room painted in a light blue. It was bear and furnished at the same time. It contained only a simple bed, a small dresser, a night table, a chair and a small desk and an extra rocking chair. The room felt cold and lifeless as she sat there in all white, black hair caught in a pony tail with a bang that fell into her face. What caught Sasuke's attention was the piercing and fierceness in her green eyes.

"I was told that you would come concerning my daughter one day. I just didn't know when. I just felt that it would be today of all days." She said seriously assessing them. "This might take a while; I suggest you all take a seat." She said.

Neji pushed up the door until it closed but he realized it could not be locked. Sasuke looked back and shrugged. He had expected nothing different. He looked at the woman closely. He could hardly believe that he was staring right at Sakura's wretched and vile mother and not ripping her to shreds. How would this even go? He let his Knights sit in the chairs and he sat, legs crossed on the gray carpeted floor facing her.

"I'm assuming you know why we're here then." Sasuke said breaking the audible silence.

She stared at him, face and eyes hard. "Of course I do. Since time is of the essence boys, I will do most of the talking and you will listen. All your questions will be answered or most of them." She said. "Where indeed should I begin in this ridiculous story is the question though. What has she told you really? I've destroyed her life in your eyes, have I not Mr. Uchiha?" she asked rising from the bed and walking to her lone window that was protected by metal bars on the outside.

"My opinion doesn't really matter."

"But we're here to talk; we must disclose some opinions here. By not answering my own questions, by what right should I then answer yours?"

"None." Sasuke replied.

"Exactly. You remind me of myself, always so serious until I'm around my husband. He's always so light hearted, never takes things seriously. I imagine that's how you are with her; it's a beautiful thing to think about. Truly I am glad that she has you, she deserved you from a very long time ago. It's sad to save her you're going to have to break her heart and kill her. It's a shame this all started with me. However, you must be quite honored at the same time, correct?" she asked distantly.

"Honored?" Shikamaru asked looking at the woman from behind as he was crazy.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his fellow friend as if to remind him that the woman was indeed crazy and they were in a mental institution that was created to keep them from society.

She nodded and turned to face them. "Of course. You should be honored that such art takes place in your life and that such endings depend only on you. I say, that art is very shallow and lacking these days, especially in a place like this but to know that to save the one you love you must lose them has the be one of the earliest kinds of art there is. It has existed from the moment man and beast has existed. It's art, she dies in your name, is possessed in your name and lives through your very soul. Art my dear boy, extends through you like a symphony that never stops playing. I very much admire that about you." She said.

"Can you just begin?" Sasuke asked not intrigued by her ramblings.

She smiled. "Sasuke, let us be friends not enemies. Enemies lie to each other, divulge false truths in their stories and never really get along. Do not hate me, even more so since Sakura doesn't hate me. Be kind and open, not closed and angry." She said. "I said time is of the essence yes, but we have just enough and if not, well, you come back another time."

"Mebuki Haruno, why are you in here?" Neji asked.

"Very good question, why am I in here? I really shouldn't be, as Rin shouldn't be caring for my daughter, as my husband should not be living in a separate house torment and haunted and in a heap of himself. I shouldn't be here as other things shouldn't be happening but I am in here and these things are happening." she replied. "That is why I am in here Neji."

"How do you know our names?"

"That is what you're concerned about?" she asked incredulously. "Fascinating."

"It's a start." Shikamaru said not the least bit offended.

"I can't tell you how I know such things just yet, it confuses the entire story or leaves it scattered and missing out things. You'll have to ask after the tale is finished." She said.

"And when do you intend to begin?" Sasuke asked irritated.

"Friends Sasuke, we are friends. We want the same thing. Be calm. I'll start very soon. I'm just waiting for you to answer my question is all. You're the one holding this up." she said matter-of-factly.

He sighed. "Yes, I do believe you have contributed destroying her. Also, if I did not need to hear what you have to say, you would have been dead before this door even open since we're all about divulging truths here." He replied.

She nodded. "I thought so. That's really all you had to say. Well, here goes my life story boys; I can tell you're good listeners. Interruptions will not be tolerated. If you interrupt, that's it, I say nothing more. Am I understood? And no, you can't torture it out of me my dearest friend." She said to Sasuke. "So, do we understand these terms?"

"We do and we agree to them completely." Neji spoke out.

Sasuke nodded compliantly and silently thanked the celestial realm that Naruto was outside with Sakura and not in here with them. He would have problems with these terms Sasuke knew. He wondered how Sakura was handling it outside. It didn't feel like anything was out of the ordinary but he knew she was good at hiding everything, even from herself most of the times. He knew things could still be wrong he just hoped it wasn't. He looked at Mebuki and waited patiently for her to start talking.

"Alright, well around seventeen years ago, give or take some weeks, I got pregnant with Sakura. Everything was fine, nothing out of the ordinary for any woman. My husband and I had been having troubles having a baby for around three years and I had gone through four miscarriages already so of course this was a blessing. We took every precaution when I got pregnant that you could possibly think of to prevent anything from happening. One night when I was around six months, I went to the bathroom after feeling those terrible pains. I knew what was happening but you know, after four times, the denial sets in. Naturally I refused to believe I was going to lose another baby. I was on the bathroom floor in a pool of my own blood with my husband when a woman came to us. She was unlike anything the mind could even create a concept of and we made a deal. She would save my child only if she too could use her as a vessel. It was a deal with the devil, my husband and I knew that but I wanted my child more than anything in the world so agreed. I had never seen darkness like that; toxic to every sense become matter and went inside of me. Three months later, Sakura Natsumi Haruno was born." She said.

Sasuke watched her intently just as she watched them closely, tracing her words on their faces. The dread that trembled in him was hot like lava. So it was true, there was another soul inside of her. How could Shikamaru be right? How could this be true and how could Sakura live and with stand so much pain? She should be dead the second she was born with three souls inside of her. She had her own; she had his and now, another Kavazwalian? This could not be real. It just couldn't be but he knew not to keep himself in denial.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Everything was fine until she turned about one and six months. In the beginning, it was like we forgot the deal we had made and started searching for answers. The doctors told us she was schizophrenic. We believed them but at one year old, something like that seemed impossible. However, her erotic behavior could hardly be managed and as she grew older, the worse it became. One second she was the Sakura we knew then the next she was this angry monster. She was in so much pain I didn't know what to do. By the time she was three, everything was a full blown disaster in our house. She would become this devil that could do things. She would break things, we couldn't even touch her she was like poison and she would just vanish like magic. She would be gone for days and she would draw all sorts of disoriented symbols about her room. One night she was having one of those nights where she would fall in and out of personas and she grabbed my hand. A mother can never forget these things; I cannot forget when she said to me: 'I can't win, she wants to be me and I can't win'. That was when I really realized what was going on. Whatever was inside of her was fighting to take control and she was going through a battle worse than death that we could do absolutely nothing about." she said. "You would have thought I'd have known this from the beginning."

Sasuke watched as her serious features softened, her eyes seemed to well and she slumped. "We didn't know what to do. Every day it got worse, harder for her and I had no daughter. Some days, I had a demon. She would sit and scream for hours, rip her nails from her flesh- it was simply traumatic. People thought we were abusing her with how many times she broke limbs, ribs and snapped joints. To be that helpless, there has never been such a hell for me as a mother. Then I got fed up when she turned seven and it was like an exorcist happening every night upstairs. I was hell bent on fixing her, no matter the cost. Our house would literally shake and tremble, walls would crack, her back would break and some nights she was possessed. This woman found me, I was desperate. She said she would help me and I didn't even ask I let her into my own home. She met my husband and she took my child. I don't know what she did, she has never told me but when Sakura came back she was fine."

She rose and went into her draw. "I've questioned as to who this person is. However, I have no answer. This is the woman that lives inside of her. The demonic version of my child." She said handing a picture to Sasuke. "She's beautiful like sin itself isn't she?"

Sasuke stared at the picture for what felt an entire decade. Sakura's hair was such a dark and lighted pink, it was almost like viscous as if it could drip its color to form a thick sticky puddle. It was electric almost, sensual and almost like it was alive on its own atop her head. Her eyes were evil with a deep, rich fern green, the pupil a sickening pink. She was still extremely beautiful, so beautiful and she looked just like herself. A ribbon around her head, creating two gorgeous bangs at the front of her head. She wasn't smiling but her beauty even then could not be denied.

"They look almost exactly the same, do they not? You can hardly tell her and Sakura apart. She plays my daughter well."

Wordlessly Sasuke passed on the picture. He waited silently for her continue speaking because he knew there was more to this story and he dreaded every word that came out of her mouth.

"Everything was very normal after that for a time. But of course, life is very cynical in all its pawns and the woman who had helped me told me that the demon was still inside of my child and I would have to kill her. It took me years to muster the courage and to do something like that was a very selfless act that I was afraid of committing. However, not because I loved my daughter meant that for me she should suffer. So I tried to kill her. Twice. Both times I failed. My husband and I started bickering from the first time I tried to kill her, he was not as selfless as me to do what was best for her. He started drinking, I moved out, then there were court hearings, Sakura was already sick –she had been for years- and we weren't around. There were the fights for custody, then she was forced to tell the truth to police officers about my deed after I had moved back in and tried to kill her again. You can see the disaster? Her father by this time was a full blown alcoholic, I was taken away, he started abusing her, refusing to believe her and every truth she had told the authorities. I was taken here. She has never visited. I do not know how her life has been with my husband in my absence. That is the end." She said coldly.

Shikamaru handed her the picture. "And what now?"

"Now everyday she dies even more." She said. "Sakura and the demon are friends; they work together as I have been told. There are things I cannot tell you, as much as you would like to know and I am sorry about that. Sasuke, you're going to be forced to make some painful decisions. Take heed and leave Sakura before it gets too hard."

"I don't intend to abandon her." he said without batting an eyelash.

"But you must do it, do you not understand? You cannot step between Fate so boldly as you are about to. You don't know what you're up against. There are better ways to do this but in order to do such, you must leave her. If you stay here, it happens in a very bloody mess. A mess, she might not make it out of."

"I will not leave her." He repeated. "Regardless of what you tell me." he said.

She nodded. "Then you cannot say I did not warn you my dear friend. Now, ask your unanswered questions."

"What else do you know about this soul?"

"It is more powerful than all of you in here." she said. "It has a mind of its own and a will of its own. It is a part of Sakura and it speaks to her. They communicate on a daily basis; they are one and the same now."

"What?"

She smirked at Sasuke. "I see she hasn't told you that."

"How do you even know all of this about her?"

"She is my daughter and I have been with her many years. I knew all these things before I was brought here. She's told me. When she was around eight, she spoke to her aloud without even realizing it. She is kind to my daughter but she is still inhumane and if she was to gain full access to Sakura's body, she would cause complete havoc. Your very kind destroyed her homeland, the same homeland you all stem from." She replied putting back the picture into the drawer which she had taken it from.

"What do you know about the God?" Neji asked.

"Nothing I can tell you I'm afraid. I know what you desperately seek but I fear, you must learn on your own." She replied. "She is outside isn't she?" she asked then distantly.

"Could you focus please," Shikamaru said.

"What makes you think I am not focused? She is afraid to see me as I am in fear of seeing her too. I have never loved as much as I have loved her. All of me yet this is the life I have given her. I only sought to make things right, to prevent all these terrors from happening to her. Torment awaits her Sasuke, torment that will bring you to tears, bring your limbs to break under her weight and she will suffer endlessly for what feels like a life time. I know what awaits her and when you bare witness, you will have wished I had saved her from the very beginning. She is constantly suffering, not because you love her means she must live in sufferation. If you love her too, you goal is to take her from it. She must die if you want to save her Sasuke. She has to suffer even more than she already has. You do not know pain Sasuke. You don't know the taste of pain until you know Sakura's own burdens that even she herself cannot comprehend." She said wisely.

He didn't doubt her in what she had said. He knew Sakura had burdens that no one else but her could bare. He knew that and it pained him. He wanted to share her pain but even now, he knew truly he would never be able to handle it.

"You wanted to take her away from that." Neji said understandingly.

Her eyes softened. "Until you have a child of your own, none of you before me will ever understand. I have seen her go through unspeakable things. You might not understand my actions and that is perfectly fine. I don't expect you to. I never expect anyone to understand. Granted, where I failed in saving her Sasuke you will succeed and all I want now is to be reunited with her, as impossible and unrealistic to your ears as it might sound." She said warmly, her voice light like the moment he had first heard it.

"Do you know anything else?"

"I know many things Sasuke but none that I can tell you I'm afraid. Please, tell her to come in when you leave this room." She said.

"She won't come." He said.

"She will. Not by force but by choice. She will come; she wouldn't have driven here if she never thought she was ready to face me again. You should know that. Tell her that I have missed her. She will say nothing to me unless I say something to her first. I know her when it comes to this relationship of ours."

Really, what did he expect? Some good old folk story, with wonders captivated inside of them? Of course not, he had been taught to expect practically the worst but this…this changed everything so much it was painful to think about. She was in more danger than he even wanted to admit and he needed to step his game up. Of course, he had taken necessary precautions but now he realized just how valuable she was, not just to him but to his entire kind. Of course he had a few Black Blades watching her when they weren't dealing with the gritty things but now he realized that he had to have her watched at all times.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know people were watching them like hawks, the Pentitantum down their back pressing down on them for the weekly reports and they had ANBU watching their every move and others trying to get their hands on any advantage they possibly could in order to step up against the Councils. Sasuke's soul would be perfect. He'd been trying very hard to keep this on the down low but he knew it wouldn't stay that way for very long. Soon this was going to get out and he was worried that something terrible could happen to her during that time. He wasn't leaving her, only Kami knew how vulnerable she would be worse with her friends gaining powers and all the changes happening.

He felt like he had the world on his shoulders. Any life but hers. He could care any life in his hands except hers. It made him too nervous and afraid. He wasn't used to these feelings and he hardly knew how to deal with them and keep them under control. Every day his attraction to her grew, everyday his soul and hers fused, every day he fell further down for her. Every day she meant more to him, every second his feelings seemed to open with new bloom. She was his everything; he had literally no meaning to life unless she was in it. She was the only thing he wanted and he knew that a part of him feeling that way was because of his soul but truly and really, he liked her with or without his soul.

"If you want to speak to her, she's right outside." He said numbly pushing himself gracefully to his feet. "If that's all you have to offer us Mebuki then we will be going." He said.

She nodded. "I suspected as much." She replied. "I've done what I can. I suppose I will never see you again then my friend."

"I would hope so. We meet again and I'll be the last face you ever see." He said pulling the door open.

He could give no definition to Mebuki and he could hardly post judgment on her actions. He was in no position to do so but to know that Sakura had gone through something as terrible as that with her memories wiped from the depths of her mind was sickening. He would never have guessed that Sakura had someone in her head talking to her without ever even mentioning it. How could she not feel insane? How she reacted to such a thing baffled him. It surprised him that she was capable of coming to school, talking and laughing with him simply and easy as any other teen with a demon raging havoc inside of her body and with voices constantly in her head. This made him wonder just how much about her life he did not know. Just how crazy she was because truly, he had to admit it, that's what she was. That unnerved him. She should tell him everything and she should trust him. He should know this. He had a right to know, it was crucial but he couldn't force it out of her.

"It was interesting meeting you Mebuki to say the least." Shikamaru said with the tiny hint of sleep in his voice.

"It was a pleasure as well." Neji said curtly.

She didn't smile but her voice was light as a cloud. "As to say it was a pleasure meeting you all as well, may fate turn in your favors." She said. "Tell Sakura what I said, to come in is her choice. I bid you all a pleasant day."

Sasuke nodded the trio walked out, closing the door silently behind them. Sasuke tucked his hands into his pockets and began walking down the hall to the lounge room where he knew Sakura was. Purposely they walked at a very slow place, the silence thick between them with words soon to be said.

Neji sighed. "This is even more complicated than we thought. Where we go from here is very much the unknown Sasuke, we're going in blind."

"Only a little bit," Shikamaru said, "we will figure this out like we always do. Obviously all we need right now is a solid base as to what's going on with her. Unfortunately it seems that our theory is proving to be very accurate so far." He looked at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow. "You suspected something was in her for a while now, haven't you?"

"I never wanted it to be true." He forced himself to admit. "Once when Krystal was healing her she had sensed another being inside of her. During that time, it all seemed so impossible; the idea simply ridiculous yet here we are." He rued.

Sasuke entered the lounge room colored in what seemed like peach. Sakura was sitting in front of a little boy holding his tiny hands and their laughter travelled beautifully to his ears. Naruto was laughing also, his blue eyes twinkling like the sky and the sea made love to each other in the hue of the sun. At least they were having a good time.

Her head turned to see him and she smiled as he neared. Sakura rubbed his head before pinching his cheeks. He slapped her hand away giggling and holding his head.

"Stop it Sakura-chan!" he laughed hysterical.

She smiled. "You need a hair cut Ruio," she said.

He shook his head, grabbing his shoulder length hair and pouting. "I do not." he said stubbornly. "Naruto tell her! I don't need a hair cut!"

Naruto held his hands up in surrender. "Whatever she says goes big man," he warned looking up at Sasuke, "How'd it go?" he asked.

Sakura's smile dimmed only a little as she stood. She folded her arms. "Yeah, how was it?" she asked curiously.

"It was alright," Sasuke said vaguely.

"And we need to get going. We have a very long drive and you know how Kurenai gets." Shikamaru grumbled.

"Say goodbye to your friend here and let's go." He said turning.

Sakura bent and scooped the little boy in her arms. "Tell all your little buddies that I'll come and get them if they mess with you again. Tell them Sakura Haruno said so. Tell The Voices that I say hello and 3:30 that it was nice meeting him."

He smiled brown eyes big enough to take in the whole world. He bobbed his head. "Will I ever see you guys again?" he asked sweetly looking at them. "Will 3:30 ever meet you guys again?"

Naruto rubbed his head. "Of course you will."

"Promise?"

"Promise." They said simultaneously.

They gave him one last hug and Sakura sighed, running her fingers over her hair that was caught in a lose pony tail. Silently they headed on their way out. Mataki smiled.

"Right on time, visiting hours are now over. Sakura, will you be leaving town again?"

Stiffly Sakura nodded. "Yes."

She frowned. "How sad. It was beautiful seeing you and I know you probably don't want to hear this but believe me, over the past recent weeks, your mother has been improving very much. Did you say hello to her?" she asked.

"No I did not. Mataki it was nice seeing you." Sakura said, stunning Sasuke with the edge of frigidness on her voice.

She waved. "Be safe and be good. Have fun now."

Sakura nodded and faked a smile. The edges of it were jagged almost. "Take care of yourself." She said and walked out, leaving every one behind her.

Sasuke watched her go, unable to really understand her attitude. Of course it wasn't easy for her to even come here. He knew that very well and he knew that this entire thing was greatly affecting her. For a split second he considered telling her that her mother had wanted to see her and all these things but he bit his tongue. He did not believe that he should tell Sakura anything, she wasn't even ready to face this woman yet. What did it matter if she had truly said anything? It didn't. He wasn't going to tell her, she didn't need that weighing down on her shoulders.

Pulling out his keys they made their way out front to the little parking lot. Sakura smiled and shifted on her feet a little as she stood between Sasuke's Audi and Naruto's Mercedes Benz SLR. Taking a deep breath she spoke quickly and clearly.

"He's schizophrenic." She said looking down.

He looked at her. "The little boy?" He asked.

She nodded, her hair falling around her face. "He's 12 and psychiatric wards are the only place he's ever known. He's so extensive that they had to transfer him here. He was admitted two weeks ago. Again. Same place just a different location. His best friend is a gorilla with the head of man called 3:30." She looked up and blinked away the tears. "I wish I didn't understand him as much as I did just then."

"There are things in life we have control over Sakura and then there are things far bigger than us that's out of our control. Unfortunately, that was one of them."

She nodded. "Did she say anything? Asked to see me? Anything, anything at all?" she asked, the rays of the sun beaming into her eyes giving them life like never before.

Sasuke sighed and shook his head minutely. "No, she didn't."

She slumped and nodded pressing her lips into a thin line. "Did she say much to you about anything then? Was this a wasted trip?"

He shrugged. "She said very little." He conceded.

She nodded almost disappointed, got in the car and buckled herself in.

Carefully they all came out of the small parking lot and went on their way. Sasuke sighed mentally as he leaned back, eyes focused on the road this time a little bothered by the silence. He didn't know what she was thinking and he didn't know what she was feeling. He wished that he did in this moment. He didn't know how much of the information Mebuki had told them was accurate and how much of it to disclose to Sakura so it was best to just say nothing. If all these things were true, he didn't want to frighten her and tell her. He kind of knew how her mind worked. She would over think everything and blame herself as usual for everything that was going on and this was by no means her fault.

If what Mebuki had told them was the truth and was correct then at least they had some answers which could possibly guide them in their next series of actions. At least now they had an explanation as to what was going on, the cause of it and therefore how to possibly approach it. He wanted to sit and think everything through but in that moment he could couldn't do it since there was more to come and with Kurenai no one knew what to expect.

He glanced at her form the corner of his eyes but she was just staring out the window at the town as they moved on their way out of it.

"Is it true that there is another person inside your mind?" he asked.

Her head snapped around to look at him as if he'd slapped her across her face. Her expression hardened almost slightly. "What?"

He tried not to roll his eyes at her. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

"Did she tell you that?" she asked incredulously.

"That's not answering the question." Sasuke said.

Truth be told this pissed him off that he'd never known this. Something as important as that someone never forgot to mention. How could she not trust him enough to mention something like that even after realizing the problems they were all facing? This was important and he realized that Sakura knew more than she led on. Sakura had information too and all this time he had thought she really didn't. Now he knew, no one but Sakura could confirm what Mebuki had said. Why hadn't she said anything before?

"But I thought she didn't say anything to you." Sakura stated.

"Sakura, that's not the point."

"Then why did you lie?" She asked.

"I didn't lie."

"You're lying again right now. I don't like it. Did you know I don't like it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." she mocked.

He glanced at her and gripped the staring wheel. "Sakura-" his voice was cold enough to freeze fire but she cut him off.

"Why should I say anything to you when you knew how much that meant to me? You're telling me that after we left! When it doesn't matter anymore because I can't do anything about it!" Her voice trembled.

He sighed. "Sakura, I don't think you understand."

"Then you don't understand how much that meant to me! That she even wanted to say something to me, even if I didn't say anything back. I wanted…that's not even a little lie. That's a big lie…and a big blow." She said staring out the window.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and he watched her closely from the corner of his onyx eyes. She seemed lost all of a sudden, as if she was walking down a road and she was blind. He wondered if that too was his fault. Suddenly he was realizing that he was probably causing Sakura a lot of harm. He hated to admit it but he looked at her and knew that if it wasn't for him, she would not be here right now and had gone through so much in such a short time. He however, refused to believe Sakura's mother. He wasn't leaving her, worse if it was his fault she was here in the first place. It was his duty to protect her, even as she pissed him off with her secrets right now.

He just didn't get it even after he caught her off guard with his question. Why hadn't she confided something like that in him? He knew he didn't have a right to be angry because he was sure she had her reasons. Of course she wouldn't walk around rambling on and on about the voice in her head. No one really would and of course she didn't want people to judge her. He just…he craved her trust so much that it burned him down to his stomach that he hadn't earned it yet. He wanted her trust as much as he wanted food. It meant so much to him. He knew it would take time but he wanted it so badly, for her to trust him with every dark secret in her heart.

He knew also that he was being a hypocrite. He had no right to want that from her if he couldn't give it back. He hated human qualities like this. Hated it.

"But I'm not mad. I can't be, so I'm not." she said with a small smile. "Yes. It is the truth." She replied in that barely audible voice of her after a couple minutes of silence.

He knew it took a lot out of her to answer him. He didn't want to put her on the spot but he needed to know these things.

She had changed so much since she first came here. She was so afraid to speak, so afraid to make eye contact and even though she didn't love doing those things she was more of herself. She spoke when she wanted to, most of the times her voice didn't hold a hundred percent of timidness. Yes it was still there, so was the innocence and purity but Sasuke knew this life he'd brought her was changing her. He knew that all the phases and the excruciating pain and agony she'd been through and the nightmares were changing her. He knew it was darkening and tainting her heart.

"Why didn't you tell me?" his voice was husky and he hated the small splinter of ache in his voice.

Her voice dropped even lower. "For many reasons. The same reason you don't tell me anything. The same reason why you don't trust me with certain things; the same reason you lied to me in the parking lot." She said with an aching smile.

His heart constricted. "Sakura I trust you." he said instantly.

She smiled her features soft like lilies. "But you still keep your secrets as secrets." She pointed out.

He knew that was the truth. It felt like she drove a dagger through his stomach. She must feel the same way as he. He craved her trust; of course she craved his in return. If he couldn't give it then why should she?

"What other reason?"

"I don't want to be the center of attention. People see me as an attention hogging person as it is…I don't want to…" she trailed off. "I didn't even think you would believe me, that you would think I was lying."

"Sakura-"

"You don't get it Sasuke." she cut him off. "And I know you want to but you don't. I'm the girl that holds her breath to faint, I'm the girl that coughs blood on purpose, I'm that girl that pretends to sick every second of every day of her life for fun, I'm that girl that vomits and starves herself for the pity and heartless sympathy of others. That is how they see me and I just don't want you to see me that way because it's not true."

"I don't."

"But you can." She insisted. "You can get tired of me being sick; you can get annoyed with hearing about it. You can become irritated with how I am and you can become cold like everyone else to me. It happens and that's not your fault. You can get tired of being with me because I'm not a normal person and we can't have normal dates and play in the snow and go swimming and on adventures. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to add something else to the list you have of things wrong with me."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "And you're not ready to talk about it then?" he asked.

"I don't have anything to tell you, I don't have all the answers and I'm sorry. It's just another person in my head. She's not a part of me, she has her own mind, her own thoughts…her own everything. She's just one of those voices that I can talk to when I don't have anyone else." she said. "I know it sounds so…" she slumped. "It sounds even worse when I say it out loud, even more insane and not even comical."

_I actually feel appreciated there Sakura, I must say but it's not as bad as you're making it seem. Don't be so sad about it…really. _

_I really don't think now is the time_

_Any time is as good as any don't you think, considering that all you've been doing lately is blowing me off. You didn't even want to talk to me anymore._

"Sakura nothing is wrong with you." he said softly. "This entire thing is 'messed' up, all of us in this aren't normal. What difference does it make now? You know me, I'm nowhere near normal. I eat souls, I can breathe fire…I have wings. This doesn't make you any different to me than I am any different to you. It doesn't get any more abnormal and unrealistic than me. It would be terrible up if you were normal." He soothed.

"You're just saying that."

"No I'm not. I am not judging you. What about that don't you get yet?" he asked.

"I don't want you to think I'm seeking attention. People don't believe things like that Sasuke and every time I say something…it's always a lie so why bother?"

"You do realize the situation that we're in and the danger you are in correct?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Then understand that some secrets you have are not yours alone anymore. Keeping your mouth shut does more harm than good at this point." He said. He bit the insides of his jaw. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, it's okay."

He was silent for a moment. "Sakura, I've taken care of you and tended to you. I know. Stop thinking that I don't and as unsympathetic as I am, it is impossible for me to be that way with you. I don't judge you now and I will not judge you. I have no right to do that."

"I just…there are some things you just never bring up unless someone asks. You've never asked." She said then.

Silence reigned then, becoming more saturated with every passing minute but neither of them said anything. Before either of them knew, three hours and two gas station stops later, even with the air conditioner on the place got dreadfully hot as they made their way on a dirt road.

Quickly Sasuke slipped out of his shirt and threw it on the back seat, sweat dabbing the back on his neck. There was another reason he didn't want Sakura to come on this trip and very soon it would become obvious.

He could feel Sakura's innocent eyes on him and he smirked inside at the feeling that she made wash over him. This was the first time she was ever seeing him without a shirt and she liked what she saw. He could tell by the way her heart raced and heat rushed to her face.

He glanced at her. "You can touch too if you'd like." He said his voice unintentionally humid. "I'm all yours."

She looked away and he shook his head. In times like this control was crucial. Control meant everything because even with how pure and innocent Sakura was, he knew she felt it. There was no way she didn't. She had to feel it, the desire to run her fingers down his chest…something, she had to feel _something_. She was a teen, she was a girl and she must want all those things other girls want. He knew Sakura was attracted to him and he knew that just like him, she got horny too. She was just so shy and curled inside herself sometimes; just trying something new might frighten her to death. And now with the issues she had sometimes when he touched her, ripping her hand or body away like he'd burnt her, trying to 'feel her up' wasn't a very good idea.

Truth be told, to even do that would be a huge step for him. Just thinking about touching Sakura sexually made him very, very… nervous. It was a big deal. This was _**the**_ girl, the one and only girl. All the other girls were practice puppets, there was no room for error on her and all those other girls meant nothing, her reaction was what really counted. There was a whole lot of pressure then riding on that. She wasn't like any other girl, she'd been to hell and back and he knew zero about her sexual preferences. Now was probably a terrible time for him to be thinking about all these things of course but he couldn't stop his mind from straying and trying to take a break from the usual stress.

He glanced at her and she was sweating. A lot.

"You're going to have to get out of those clothes." He stated watching her as she quickly and expertly did up her hair in a messy bun.

She glanced at him. "I know." she said softly swallowing.

"Nervous about something?"

She laughed. "Only a little. There is a larger reason as to why I wasn't upset with you about what you did. I'm making very big steps today."

"I've noticed." He said coming to a halt behind Neji's Dodge Ram.

Leaning over to the back seat he passed Sakura her nap sack and rummaged for his messenger bag. Then a hand hot like a frying pan touched his arm and he stilled like never before in his entire life. Instinct, male instinct so raw gripped him by the throat he was so close to suffocating. Control. Was. Crucial. This was exactly why he never wanted her to come. He swallowed, her touch seeping into his skin into his veins. He'd never felt something so electric. The sweat on his neck in fright paused for if it ever moved, he'd snap Sakura's body in half with his very own. Mercy. His head turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow, face as much of a mask as he could make it. If she didn't let go, he'd step out of this car with a hardon and that would not look very good given the circumstances.

"Where do I change?" she asked.

"Here," He said.

She choked. "What?"

"Or you could do it outside but then we'd all be able to see you. The choice is yours."

"Bu…but-"

"Sakura, you're not wearing those thick clothes. You'll pass before we even get there. And if you change into anything besides shorts and a thin shirt, I will rip the sleeves off and tear your jeans and make them into shorts and shirt." he said grabbing up the bag, shrugging off her hand easily and exiting the car. "Change. Now." he said closing the door, throwing the bag across his shoulders and making his way over to his Knights.

"Will she be able to see the place or do well need a spell?" Naruto ask rummaging in his car for his bag.

"She should be able to see it. If she can see Hinata everything should be fine." Shikamaru said."I am not looking forward to this at all. This is very troublesome." He murmured.

"None of us are looking forward to this." Naruto said pulling his shirt over his head and pulling off his jeans, to reveal mermaid beach shorts. He flexed his back, making a cracking sound, all his muscles contracting. "It's already fucking hot. This is not going to be fun."

"Tell me about it." Neji said pulling his own shirt over his head and catching his hair in a low ponytail. "Is Sakura okay with four shirtless guys with Tattoos?" he asked.

"She won't die." He said as the car door opened and Sakura stepped out.

She was in ripped shorts that stopped mid thigh and a wife beater, hair caught in a messy bun and sneakers. She looked drop dead gorgeous but that was not what caught Sasuke's attention. He stood there looking at her creamy legs and arms laced with marks and scars. Not self harm scars…battle scars. She grabbed her Dora bag, closed the door and walked over to them.

"Hi." She said awkwardly, looking at her shoes instead of them standing like Gods before her.

"Sakura-"

Sasuke held up his hand silencing Naruto before he could say anything else. He turned his back to Sakura. "Let's get going." He said simply and started walking.

The day just kept on giving him surprises, so many of them he didn't know how to deal with them all. So that's why she wasn't mad, it would have been unfair. Sasuke noticed that now. Of course she had scars. How could she not with how sick she was and all that she had been through? Of course. The question was: how had he never seen them until this very moment? How? She just kept pissing him off, ruining his efforts not to be mad at her.

He didn't want to be angry with her, honestly he didn't but all she was doing was giving him more reasons to be. Look at this now, why hadn't he known this? When they were in the car couldn't she have said something? Look at the conversation they were having about her keeping secrets, hiding things from him. He knew it wasn't fair but it cut a wound in him somewhere and he was angry because he was slightly hurt, as much as he hated to admit it. This hurt him that she wasn't telling him anything at all and all she did was keep secrets. These were big things, not simple things and he had told her his secrets. She knew about all this, about him and he answered any questions she dared ask. Why wouldn't she trust him enough to reveal something like this to him? She didn't trust him at all did she?

He knew it seemed dramatic to say this but he really was feeling like he didn't know her very well. That is, truly what went on in her mind? He didn't know this. He'd never seen her scars, never even been told she had any. Why? She didn't think it was important or she didn't trust him enough to tell him?

He didn't listen to the conversation as Sakura and his Knights murmured together as they walked through the dense woods, the heat only intensifying, the sweat only increasing. They had a long walk ahead of them. He hoped she made it without something going wrong.

"Oi! Teme, she doesn't believe we can speak almost all languages." Naruto said.

Sasuke glanced back and his lips twitched in the nice way when he saw Naruto holding on to her hand. He nodded. "We can." **(A/N I used Google translate for this [no duh] so I don't even know if everything is translated right. If it's not, don't blame me guys, blame Google -_- )**

"Latin." Sakura said.

"Vere velim bamus invicem magis." Sasuke said.

Naruto frowned almost instantly. "Dudus, ut ne ad eam non opus est." He said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He knew he was trying; he respected Sakura trying but…still.

"Iustum non est motus."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wow. Uh…what other language can I think of?" she asked herself. "Romanian." She said almost giddy.

"Să înțeleg că nu a știut niciodată despre cicatrici ei." Neji said, the Romanian accent almost too perfect.

Of course he didn't know about the scars. Did anyone know about them? He didn't want to talk about it and he knew his Knights wanted to know about it but he didn't know anything. She had many, and that explained the long sleeved shirts and jeans, the hoddies etc. why hadn't she told him? It seemed like all Sakura's secrets were far bigger than all of his combined and that frightened him. What else didn't he know?

"Desigur, nu am făcut-o." Sasuke said tightlipped. "You all entertain her. I rather not speak about these things." He said more to himself than to them.

"He's mad." She said her voice cracking.

He wished he hadn't heard her. If he hadn't he could still be mad at her but he couldn't be. When he heard her voice laced with the guilt it was as if it pulled the anger right out of his very veins. He was destroying her. He sighed and looked over his shoulder.

"Je ne suis pas. L'amour ne marche pas comme ça. Vous prenez la colère de ma part." He said. "I'm not angry." He said, pausing and waiting for them to catch up the him.

He couldn't be angry with her and if he was, he couldn't stay that way. They waded through the forest and after a while, Sakura was leaning on the bark of a tree, panting. She held her hand up, fanning them off and grasping Neji's arm for support. She sucked in a deep breath.

"This is some walk." She murmured, exhausted already. "Whew!"

"I can carry you." Neji offered.

She shook her head. "I can walk a little longer." She insisted, Neji walking at snail's pace with her without complaint.

Sasuke liked this in a way he could not describe. Would he have done the same thing for Tenten if it was her? He didn't think he would have but as he watched Neji, his arm supporting her and helping her as they waded uphill he knew he would. These were his friends. The people who would lay their lives down for him and anything that meant something to him. They would die for Sakura simply because he was willing to die for her. It was one of those rear moments of awe and appreciation. He smirked and eventually they were wall walking at the same pace with her.

He knew she felt terrible and that she didn't want to slow them down. She'd drunk three bottles of water until she plopped down at the root of a tree on the verge of an asthma attack. Another reason why he never wanted to carry her. Despite how inhuman she was, she was still human. She was sweating ridiculously, her wife beater sticking to her and he didn't want to think about it but he couldn't help but notice how delicious her breasts looked. She took her pump, coughed some wet sloppy coughs and wheezed. Sasuke knelt down before her and waved his hands, telling everyone to take a break. They had been walking for about an hour. She looked at him apologetically and he waved her off.

"It's fine."

She leaned her head back, trying to catch her breath, her chest rising and falling quickly as sweat ran down her thighs and legs. Control. Was. Crucial. The last time he'd seen her this sexy she was in his shirt and wet. Damn. He separated her legs and bit the insides of his jaw to not do what he wanted to do when he opened them and knelt between them. He handed her a container and she looked at it.

"Eat." he said.

Taking a deep breath and coughing she did as she was told. Silently she began to eat. He noticed that she refused to look at him. He sighed.

"Sakura, I'm not upset. I was before, yes, but I'm not anymore."

She looked up at him and flipped a lock of wet pink hair from her face. "I am. I was just…afraid to tell you." she murmured.

"How is it that I've never seen them before?" he asked softly, resting his head on hers when she placed the food next to her.

"Tsunade and Ino insisted I wear creams that were made to hide them but, I got tired of using them and I just started covering them up with the clothes you see me in. The weather was getting cooler, it's not so hot anymore so I knew it wouldn't look weird. I didn't want you to find out like this. I wanted to tell you in the car but I was so scared. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." He whispered, pulling away lightly pressing his lips against a thin pink scar on the rise of her left breast. Of course it was not sexually but every bone in his body _wanted_ it to be. "I'm not mad. I swear." He said kissing her cheek.

"I just thought you'd hate me or think I'm ugly or not want anything to do with me and I know it sounds stupid. I know, you don't have to tell me." she said knotting her fingers.

"But it's happened to you before, people have thought that when you showed them, so what makes this so different right?" he asked dryly.

"That's what I had thought." She said honestly looking at him. "But I don't think that anymore. Honestly I don't. I've just been very afraid to believe you but I do now." she said touching his cheek, her hand flaming hot, burning through his skin. She rested her forehead on his. "I do now and I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what I said in the car. I know you understand more than most people and I don't give you credit and I didn't mean it. I just need some time, the same way you do."

Once upon a time, maybe a couple weeks ago, it would have taken a lot out him to say this to her. Now, it rolled of his tongue in truth, solid truth. He wasn't ashamed to admit it and his pride was different.

"I won't leave you." He said. "Granted, it seems unbelievable now but I will always feel this way. Literally."

She laughed. "Right," she smiled.

"Now that we're finished with that, did I tell you I like those shorts?" he cooed, biting his lips over hers.

"You do?" she stuttered.

His hands anchored her waist and their eyes locked. "Yes. The more skin the better."

Something like this has never happened to him before but inside her eyes betrayed her shyness in a way that stunned him. They were electric and he knew the heat the pulsed through his body that she was feeling it to. Of course she was. He watched the sweat trickle down her neck and her breathing steadied then slowed to that erotic rhythm he'd heard so many times from so many women but has never affected him until this point. Her mouth opened ever so slightly, her cheeks tomato red as he undressed her with his eyes. She watched him hypnotized as his eyes pulled her blouse over her head, sinking his hands down into her shorts. He felt the vibrations hit her throat before he heard her moan, her head falling back against the bark.

_**Control****. **__**Was. **__**Crucial. **_

She sighed, her eyes fluttering for an instant before her soft hands rested on his on her hips.

"Do you feel that?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Timidly she nodded.

_One taste. One bite._ The voice slithered through his mind. He remembered when he first met her and the days that followed. He couldn't resist the scent of her soul or her blood. She had driven him to the brink of insanity so many times before. He could smell it, every time her heart beat, sending it rushing through her veins. Vampires weren't the only ones to drink blood. He remembered the days he fantasized about drinking her body dry. If he was careful, she would enjoy this. Any girl would. He shook his head. Of course he wouldn't do it. Even if he wanted to –which he did- he couldn't. He'd gone this far without tearing her to shreds; nothing was stopping him from resisting now.

Then she spoke, words that set Sasuke on _fire_. "You can leave your own scar if you want." She whispered meekly.

"I don't think you understand what you've just said." he said in a hushed tone.

She seemed transfixed. "But you do."

Sasuke swallowed, drowning her eyes. Control. He could do this. Just one supersonic moan he wanted to tear from her body. He'd dreamt about hearing it and here she was giving him a chance. This heat…he hadn't wanted to bring her here. Heat….heat evaporated control and rational thought. He moved his hands and rested them on her knees while resting on his own knees he slid closer between her legs. He rested his hands on the bark of the tree and looked down at her. She looked up in his face with the kind of innocence a man like him would have normally corrupted a long time ago. This wasn't the right time to do this. To feel this. He hadn't wanted her to come because heat…heat made everything _**hotter**_.

"Trust me?" he asked. She nodded. He dipped his head and ran his tongue down her neck. "You're going to want hold onto something. This is going to be intense." he warned, sinking his teeth into her.

Nothing in time, space and any other dimension to ever exist or coexist had ever felt and tasted so good. Ever. His fingers sank into the bark, ripping it as his body jolted with the feeling of a never ending, never fading and ever exploding orgasm. A feeling like rich silk with all the sins and pleasures of the world fell onto his lap. And hunger filled him down to depth of his body. That same hunger that no matter how many souls he'd had never went away. That hunger gripped him like death and his teeth sank even deeper into her flesh, her nails clawing at his back, pealing his skin. Yes. Intensity.

The cosmos collapsed all at once, blinding him to asunder, her moans climbing until it was a shrill of greatness, her nails piercing his skin. Her grip was fierce, a hand tangling in his hair as his mouth filled with the greatest sin he'd ever experienced. The groan came out of him strained as her body thrust closer to his, her breasts pressing against his chest as blood like fire filled his tongue. He had wanted this from the first time he'd encountered her.

Pleasure has never felt so good. The aching cry that ripped from her like child during birth ruptured him like never before. The sound sent him spiraling downwards into a hole of pure, unadulterated redness. Redness like never before. A redness Tami couldn't give him. A redness Minie couldn't give him. Her cry was a pleasure so carnal and raw, only she could give him. Her blood was thick, beautiful with all the art and mysteries in the world convoluted into it. All her pain, all her joy and love and ache morphed into her blood. Sasuke literally could not handle the feelings as his hand ripped the tree from the ground, pulling up its roots to prevent himself from hurting her. He threw it aside and pushed her down on the ground, sinking his nails into the dirt. Yes. Fuck. Yes. This was better than sex.

However, control. Control. Control. Control. Control. Control. Control. Was. Crucial. He had to stop. _He had to stop_. He was already taking too much blood. She loved it yes but she didn't realize he was hurting her at the same time. It took every ounce of strength to pull his teeth from her flesh. He was panting, their bodies glistening in sweat, blood leaking from the sides of his lips. He tilted his head back, flexing his back and groaned. He'd never felt so satisfied ever in his life. He could feel her blood running down his neck and it felt beautiful. His eyes blazed like crimson rings and normally he wouldn't want her to see it but he locked eyes with her.

"Are you afraid?" he asked his voice powerful and tangled in toxicness.

"No." she said whispered, lost in a sea of new euphoria.

She stared into them transfixed as he wiped her blood from his lips with his tongue. He grasped her hand and used her index finger to wipe the trickle that slid down his throat. Never letting his eyes leave hers, he licked her fingers. He closed his eyes.

"Bad idea." He said to himself.

He could feel her body shaking. With a lick he sealed the two piercings his teeth made in her neck. She trembled. Of all the places and times for him to give her such an experience and an orgasm he chose here. Bad idea. He'd just lost it for a minute.

He stood and looked down at her. He held out his hand and feebly she took it. He pulled her to her feet. Her eyes fluttered and he held onto her as her weight fell on top of him.

"I'm fine." She said. She looked at him. "What was that?"

He stifled a smirk. "That was you feeding your boyfriend. Very sexy."

Sasuke looked up and sure enough the sun was close to setting. Sasuke tangled his hands in hers and they made their way to where everyone else had been taking their break. Sakura avoided all eye contact and no one complained about moving once again.

They walked in silence but soon Sakura was on the verge of passing out. Sasuke understood he had some part to play in that. He wondered if the day could get any more unpredictable. He felt invincible however, he'd never felt this good and in such good spirits in a very long time.

Neji knelt down and Sakura warily climbed on his back. Her heart and joints couldn't handle the amount of walking. Neji didn't mind bringing her and he offered to bring her because he knew right and well that Sasuke carrying her wouldn't have been a good idea. Neji paused after an hour and pointed in front of them. Sakura paused mid sip of her water.

"That's where we're going." He said.

"I'm going to be ten pounds by the time we get there." she panted.

The heat was getting to her, she felt drained like never before. She was breathing heavily and she coughed a wet humid cough. Sasuke knew this would wear her out. Neji patted her leg that was wrapped around his toned body.

"You'll make it."

"If we could have driven we would have." Naruto said.

"And save us all this trouble." Shikamaru said.

They had to walk due to the way Kurenai had built her castle. When they reached Sasuke wiped sweat from his forehead. It was dark now and Sakura was sweating, her pink wife beater soaking wet, sticking to her like second skin and it was hard from him not to notice the beautiful roundness of her breasts again and the shape of her waist as the blouse clung to her flesh.

"This is beautiful." She gasped as sweat pelted her.

Naruto flexed his back and they continued walking. There was no gate or wall or fence surrounding the large mansion that was blazing hot, it felt like hot water on their flesh. The heat was almost unbearable. They wound around the way to the front and Sasuke gripped the knocker and knocked, the sound echoing throughout the hills.

"How has no one found this place?" Sakura asked, resting her head on Neji's back.

"It's hidden away." Shikamaru said. "We exist everywhere but out of sight. You should know this by now." he said.

Sasuke glanced at her. "Prepare yourself. There is a lot of flesh and very little clothing in this place." he warned as the door opened to reveal a exceptionally beautiful, well rounded woman with straight black hair and piercing gray eyes.

Her body seemed to glow and her skin moist. Her waist was small, her breasts perked and round. She was gorgeous. She stood there, as naked as the day she was born. She looked at them with interest.

"She's been waiting." She stepped aside. "Please, come in."

"Well damn," Shikamaru muttered stepping in. "Just how I like my women, ready and waiting for me."

Everyone followed her wordlessly and the large wooden doors banged shut. Black carpet led straight ahead to something steaming like a Jacuzzi all the way down from where they were. The heat was intense and the space so large it echoed. Palm trees dotted the place, some Japanese women clothed like the islands and others naked, their long hair brought over their shoulders hiding their nipples. They sauntered around and two angelic women stood at the top step before a person could step into the mass of water. They held palm for fans and next to them were women with towels and robes.

"Come." She said her voice beautiful and she led them down the carpet. "She must walk on her own." The woman said pausing to look at them with her penetrating violet eyes.

"She's weak." Sasuke said.

"She must walk on her own." The woman said coldly. "Kurenai wishes it to be so."

"No problem." Sakura coughed and slid off Neji's back. Sasuke made move to wrap his arms around her but she shook her head. "It's okay."

He smirked. "Are you scared?" he teased.

He ran his tongue over his teeth and she gapped at him and turned away from him instantly.

The woman nodded and continued down the carpet. They paused at the first step and the women watched them closely. They stood there and Sasuke knew this was going to get very graphic. Another reason he didn't want to bring Sakura here.

Soon the water sloshed and as if she was walking up steps to come out, a woman slowly started to emerge. She looked glorious with her black wet hair sticking to her flesh, her red eyes like gems with a body so curvaceous and sensual it could kill. The aura that blasted from her like a nuclear explosion was enough to knock some of the strongest men to their knees. She seemed so superb it was almost sexuality too intense to be anything besides darkness. She looked dangerous as she sauntered out, water dripping from every inch of her body. She closed her eyes and moaned as heat like waves rushed through the place. She looked at them and smiled, gloriously.

"I was expecting you." she beautifully said stepping down to them.

The women fluttered around her like flies. A jade hair girl offered a robe but Kurenai waved it off. Her body was flawless, her breasts round and beautiful, her peaks hard. Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets. He wasn't really attracted to many women that weren't Sakura lately. However, he did not deny her wonderful sensuality and the fact that she was beautiful.

"Kurenai." He said.

"Sasuke." she purred. "Ladies, please take care of these men." She instructed taking the robe and towel. "Katatsu, you will stay."

The violet eyed beauty nodded and unwillingly all Sasuke's Knights left his side. They all stood there in awkward silence as she stood naked in front of them and she laughed. Her laughter was that of a woman too free for them, a woman who saw them as children who were incapable of being as free as she was.

"We meet again Ms. Haruno. Finally," She purred sexually.

That was when it occurred to Sasuke to look at Sakura. She just stood there looking at the woman in mortification and disbelief. Sasuke looked at Kurenai. She answered his unasked question very easily, not that he wouldn't know all there is to know very soon.

"I know everyone." She replied holding out her arms to let Katatsu slip on her robe. She however, did not tie it, as water dripped from the ends of her hair that swung at her waist. "However, we've met before. Please, let's speak privately." She said turning and walking across the room to a large bolted door next to the spiraling staircase.

She looked back but Sasuke couldn't get Sakura to move on her own. He grasped her arm and forced her to move, her feet like bricks on their own. She was in shock but due to what? It couldn't be because these people were naked. That wasn't possible. Sakura must have seen nude people before so what did this even mean? He hadn't wanted to bring her for so many reasons it wasn't even funny. When they reached the door Kurenai pushed it open and stepped aside allowing them to enter.

The room had a roaring fire place in the heat and four chandeliers. It almost resembled the room they had just left, almost like a thorn room with a chair directly at the end of the room in front of the door. The floors were carpeted and candles also burnt. The heat was unbearable. Plants dotted the room, the colors in peaches and light pinks and whites. She took a seat, slung a leg over the arm of her hair, tucking her robe between her legs to prevent them from seeing what was between her legs. Her breasts still showed but she drew the robe just enough to cover her nipples.

Her smile was cynical. "What do I owe this pleasure?" she asked as Katatsu leaned over to kiss Kurenai on the lips. She mumbled something, she nodded and Katatsu charmingly after winking at Sasuke and left the room.

Sasuke leaned back and propped up his feet. Sakura was still in his system and he knew how important this is, he just couldn't be as serious as he was. He felt far too good but he did understand that he came here for business. He didn't smirk at her. They weren't friends like that. They had a not so gorgeous history.

"You know why we are here."

"True. I do know but do you know why you're here Sasuke? That is the question in truth." She stated.

"Listen," Sasuke said in a hard voice, "this is getting out of control and we need to fix this before it gets worse which I'm pretty sure it can. If you don't want to talk I will take my leave without hesitation."

"You were always the spoilt one ever since you were born. From the womb you were like this. I foresaw your arrival this day when Sakura's mother made the deal with the kavazwalian from Kivinochi." She said. "Sasuke, you know as much as I do that I know everything. I have all the answers to everything you could ever ask me. However, Fate determines what I can say. My mouth cannot speak what should not be known, that was my deal."

"What can you tell me?"

"I can tell you that she is weak." She said emotionlessly, her voice cutting like shards of glass. "Very weak and it's quite sad. You've spoken to her mother and she has told you about the past, correct?" she asked.

Sasuke bit the insides of his jaw. "Yes." He conceded.

He knew what Kurenai was doing. Of course she already knew that he had lied to Sakura when she had asked him. She wanted her to know what he lied about. He tried not to glare at her or show any emotion on his face when a pain sliced through all his veins so intense he felt like he would combust. It hurt her.

"I am that woman she found. Sasuke, I was given a choice. To help her when she was young and save her the torment or help her when she was this age. I have already done my part, I cannot do it again. If I never helped her before she would have been consumed and there would have been more chaos. Truly what lies ahead can be prevented but you won't leave her. Listen to me carefully. Both of you because your weakness irritates me darling, always have and tears are not allowed here so try not to shed any. If you don't leave her in two days Sasuke, then when everything happens, _you must not abandon her_. There are two outcomes to this. All choices do not go unchained. If you leave her at any time after these two days Sasuke, you're in for a very sticky ride."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I will not leave her Kurenai."

She smiled. "I have warned you." she said and rose. She stared walking about the room, her silk robe swaying with her. "Shikamaru is brilliant. He is also very much correct in his latest theory. That is precisely what is going on. Yes, the god is in the Agape forest. Now, I could tell you Sasuke and I would like to just to save you both the pain but I cannot. This God is being awakened and it is due to the amount of energy that has suddenly ruptured the one town, enough energy now to awaken him only a little. The Kavazwalian inside of Sakura is extraordinarily powerful; she alone in this town is enough to wake this God. To stop all that is going on, you will need these." She waved her hand in front of a wall and there formed a closet door.

She pulled it open to reveal about five dozen golden spears. She gripped one and pulled it out of its ringed holster. She held it up to them and then slammed the spear into the wall. It went right through forming a clean hole that caused the wall to continue to crumble. She pointed to the wall.

"These are the spears I was given before you were born. I was given these by Fate without Asanepha's knowledge before we were thrown here. These go into the ground of the Agape forest and it traps the God in a chamber where his power cannot escape. Without it being awake, it is unable to realize what its power is doing. With being on a subconscious level, it won't fight back not that it can either, just being here is dangerous." She informed them pulling the spear from the wall.

"Which God is it?"

"That's an exceptionally stupid question." She said blatantly. "You know the story and you've told your girlfriend." She said pulling out a bag and pushing all the spears into them. Holding the bag at either ends, she pushed the ends together until the bag shrank to almost the size of a button. She threw it at Sasuke who took it and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Asanepha and Rogoshi are here?" he asked.

"Of course. This is your duty Sasuke, to get them back to where they belong. Everything you do determines how they get there. Leaving or staying with Sakura, closing off the agape forest, telling the Pentitantum…everything. Believe it or not, you're not the one who runs the show. It's your girlfriend. She decides how things go, not you. She's the most important thing to ever exist in Kavazwalian history; everyone just doesn't know it yet. Sakura, you've been so quite all this time, have you nothing to say?" she asked casually going back to her seat.

Numbly Sakura shook her head. Sasuke let his mouth get the best of him. "What did you do?"

"You know what I did. The Kavazwalian in her was restless, it was rebellious and it was eating the poor girl away. I intervened and I tamed her, subduing to simply a subconscious level inside her head. It took hours and it is indeed one of the most painful things to ever go through. I told you dear that you would be seeing me once again. Here we meet. Speak."

Sasuke watched Sakura closely and the question she asked stunned him. "When am I going to die?" she asked.

She smiled. "You know the answer to that, so why ask me?" she said.

Sakura nodded numbly, her eyes glazed over with tears that would not fall. She seemed dazed, in a different world. Sakura nodded. "I remember what you did."

"Yes. I know." she said unsympathetically.

She looked down. "To what end do I owe this treacherous disaster?" she whispered.

Kurenai smiled and knelt before Sakura. She touched her cheek. "You are weak in body but powerful in soul. You will be repaid for all your sufferings in a way you can never imagine. Fate, will repay you being its vessel." She promised.

"There is only so much Fate can do." Sakura said. "In the midst of the storm, that is what you had said." Sakura rose. "I would like to wait outside of your home, if you do not mind." She said touching Sasuke's shoulder lovingly. "Continue without me."

_**There you have it guys! Did you like the bloodsucking scene? Could you understand Sasuke's desire and Sakura's lack of fear when it came on to him and that taking place? Could you understand her wanting to walk out –being overwhelmed with being in the presence and knowing that she's going to die soon? Was I smooth enough in jumping from one emotion to another and having Sasuke feel multiple emotions at once? Or was it rough around the edges? Don't be afraid to PM and whatnot. Reviews are welcomed. I mean, I just want to know you guys aren't confused and you're tying everything together the way it should be.**_

_**PS: HAPPY MOTHER FUCKING SUMMER GUYS! HOLY SHIT, SUMMER! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? THIS IS THE TIME WHERE MEMORIES GET MADE, LAUGHTER GETS LOUDER, THE NIGHTS GETS LONGER, THE ROMANCES GET HOTTER, THE HAPPINESS GETS HAPPIER AND THIS IS YOUR CHANCE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE LIFE GET BETTER! **_

_**Loving you guys more every day,**_

_**D.V**_


	38. Chapter 38

_**WELCOME! Guys, I KNOW that this update is way passed over-due and I'm so sorry about that. I was going through a serious amount writing troubles, honestly BUT I am working on it and I promise more frequent updates to get this show right back on the road. This won't ever happen again, I promise but just know, I haven't forgotten about this! PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR TAKING SO LONG! :'( **_

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**____**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__ __**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty Eight]**

Sakura walked down the halls feeling like everything was going to collapse in on her. Books hugged to her chest, hair in a ponytail swishing behind her and Naruto, like a body guard walking next to her hands in his pockets. They were walking alone this morning and even with everyone hustled and huddled in the hall, she felt like the corridors were desolate.

She glanced at Naruto for the millionth time just to make sure he was there and that she wasn't walking alone. She didn't see the halls the same anymore, not the way they used to be. They were different, everyone around her was different and the atmosphere was different.

Memories flashed through her mind to the very same halls where she'd first seen Hinata have a vision, the same halls were Tami attacked her in front of everyone and Sasuke brought her to the hospital, the same halls she'd been brought to the nurses office in and the very same halls she and Sasuke had their first misunderstanding. The white tiles with flesh and skin spread out everywhere, students watching them with scrutinizing eyes.

Over the last couple of days, she'd been dealing with some heavy demons. Her mind kept replying the highlights of the journey she had taken. It had spilled so many things on her plate that she hadn't been expecting and Sasuke well; he didn't have time for her right now. She wasn't offended; she knew that whatever he and Kurenai spoke about after she left had been extremely important. He had been in there for hours. She knew he had a lot of things to do and get done- things that were best kept from her. She did trust his judgment.

She was glad somewhat about his absence. Partly since after what had happened between them in the forest, she didn't know how to act around him very well. She was always nervous and fluttery more than usual, her stomach filled with twice as many knots that they always did, her cheeks flushed until pain and she didn't know what to expect. She didn't want to start feeling used and even though she knew he wasn't using her, she didn't know if he would start. She didn't know if he would now always expect that from her, if it was all he wanted now. She had no way of knowing and it seemed rude to ask.

Another reason was from feeling like slut and then because she was dealing with mental after effects of him biting out her neck in the heat of the moment. Granted she had many more tiring things but they were useless to think about and well, she just couldn't stop thinking about this. How she had felt, she had never thought anything in life every felt so overwhelmingly wonderful. When she came home flooded with emotions and exhausted she couldn't stop feeling like she'd done some heinous crime. She couldn't stop feeling like some slut and like she'd just proven everyone who'd every called her a whore right. Naruto told her it was the 'bottom drop effect'.

_Naruto dropped his arm around Sakura's shoulder and nestled his head in her hair for a moment before kissing her temple. "So, this is about what happened between you and Sasuke yesterday isn't it?" He asked in a warm voice like summer breeze on the beach. _

_His voice was one completely opposite of Sasuke's. His voice was full of emotion, as if it had every single one of them in there. His was warm, soothing and as if it spoke the language of the heart. No wonder they were best friends, Yin and Yang. _

_They had returned to town and were now loitering at the first home Sasuke had brought her to. The one without the furnished yet desolate second floor and Sasuke was having an important discussion with his Knights, including Gaara. Hinata was also present in the room next to his bedroom door. She didn't really want to be in there. Not only was she tired, even after Krystal had fixed her up but her mind was racing with thoughts. It had been such a long day yesterday, full of so much chaos and truths and confessions she just hadn't let it all sink in. Right now, she was reflecting on her slutty ways and she was feeling pretty bad. She'd been treated as a toy almost her entire life, put down for just that much longer and downgraded. She felt like a slut. No way around it. All she was doing now was proving herself and everyone else right. What if Sasuke didn't want her after all this was said and done?_

_Sakura stared at him. Stunned. "How do you know what happened?"_

_He smiled, his sea blue eyes getting even bluer than they were before. There was just something about him. "I'm not as clueless as you think. I'm very observant and well, you weren't very quiet." _

_She looked down and knotted her fingers together. Her cheeks flushed with color and for a mere moment she felt like she would pass out. "I'm so sorry."_

"_Why are you doing this to yourself? Why do you keep telling yourself these ridiculous things?" He asked her, turning her to face him. "Look at me. You always do that too, do you think I don't notice? Honestly, I'm not stupid."_

_She swallowed. _

"_Sakura-Chan, look at me when I'm talking to you." He said. Her eyes trailed up. "All he did was bite your neck," he said easily. _

_She didn't want to but she laughed. "Don't say it like that."_

"_That's all he did. All he did was take a bite out of your neck and I'm sure neck-biting like __**that**____isn't a thing. Really, I know sluts Sakura-chan, take my word for it," he said._

"_It's just I really feel like I'm proving them right." She said waving her hands. "You know what I mean?"_

"_But you're not." He said. "Let's put things into perspective then, shall we? We can both rationalize and work this out,"_

"_When did you get so wise?" she teased._

_He shrugged. "I don't particularly like being serious but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of it. If you know what I mean."_

"_Alright sure, show me some logic perspective Professor Uzumaki."_

_He laughed. "Let's look at the characteristics that 'make' a whore or a slut or a skank or any other related words that you women so love to use on each other. Pretend I'm reading off a list or some shit. How many boyfriends have you had?" _

_She blinked. "Well one, I mean it's just Sasuke really."_

_He nodded. "How many men have you ever kissed?"_

_Her brows furred. Sakura realized where he was going with this. "Just Sasuke."_

"_How many men have you slept with?"_

_Her eyes widened. "I've never slept with anyone, not even Sasuke!" _

"_Right. How many boyfriends have you stolen? How many cocks have you sucked? How many times have you fought for a man? How many times have you been pregnant before leaving high school? How many porn videos have you been on? How many teachers at our school have you had sex with? How many class rooms, closets and school bathrooms have you fucked in? Do you see where I'm going with this or should I continue?"_

"_I understand what you're saying and I know where you're going with this but-"_

"_And I understand too what you're saying to me," he said draping his hand around her shoulder again. "I know, people say all these things about you and pleasure is tangled in these things that they say, so when you do feel pleasure, you feel associated with these terms. It's normal –let me just make this clear- _it is normal to feel like this for the first time_. Even girls that have never been picked on or bullied for some reason after feeling any form of pleasure, they feel dirty, it's the 'bottom drop effect' for lack of a better phrase. The key is to understand that you're not any of these simply because you feel pleasure and gratification from something. I'm sure you don't think Ino is a slut –and she's not a virgin, we both know this." he rationalized. _

"_What if…you know?" she fumbled for words because it seemed stupid to say it out loud._

_He laughed and hugged her tighter. This time his laughter was deep reminding her of the deepness and darkness of Sasuke's chuckle. His laughter was almost like that of a man talking to a child who hardly knew better and had irrational and ridiculous fears. It was a disarming laugh making Sakura for a split second feel like a fool- in a good way. She glanced up at him and smiled. He was making her feel better already._

"_Are you kidding me right now? Sakura-Chan, you're too fucking awesome and wonderful to not have even the slightest drop of confidence, even if it's not about you, did you know that? So, what if he doesn't want you anymore because you've established now that you're a hardcore slut, right?"_

_She slapped him on the arm. "Don't say it like that! Are you even taking this seriously!?"_

"_Of course I'm taking this seriously, this is my serious face, can't you tell?" he said grinning. "Honestly, serious isn't my thing. Besides, you don't want to see me serious, it's not really inviting to the ladies. Don't lose track of what we're talking about. Come on answer me."_

"_Well yeah."_

"_You're so retarded, did you know that?"_

_She gapped at him. "What? Did you of all people just call me retarded?"_

"_I mean really, now with you thinking that, what evidence do you have to support this? None really because there isn't any and you're simply over thinking. If he didn't want anything to do with you, you wouldn't be here and in retrospect of this being my friend for more years than –I hate to point this out- you will probably ever exist, if he didn't get to bite your neck from the first time he met you he would have been done with you. We both know this. Like, shit, Sakura-Chan, come on." He groaned hanging his head. _

"_I know it sounds stupid, honestly I know that. I mean, that's why I haven't said anything to him about it because hearing it now; I know it's ridiculous but that's just how I feel. I know he gives me no reason to doubt him-"_

"_Blah, blah blah." He interrupted. "That's all it is, blah blah. Like who gives a fuck what these thirsty girls think? They only talk shit because you're where they dream of being, they want to be you, they want Sasuke biting out their necks and it's not happening. Jealousy and envy are killer feelings; they make up the ugliest people in the world. Not because they say these things means you must make yourself miserable just to prove them wrong. It doesn't mean that you should sacrifice self happiness, pleasure and satisfaction just to prove to them that maybe you're not who they think you are. Can I ask you something?"_

"_Sure."_

"_If you were fucking down this whole school, what difference would it make?"_

_Sakura doubled back. "What?"_

"_How different would they treat you then than they are now? Being a saint or a sinner doesn't matter when it comes to hate. So what if you prove them right? I'm pretty sure that they're not virgins and all this bullshit they penalize you for. As long as you're happy, who cares? Those who care about you won't judge you; I won't judge you for doing what makes you happy because that's all I want. All I want is for you to be happy because you deserve it. Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind, trust me." he said._

That conversation had saved her from plunging deeper into the hole she'd been going into. She tugged on his sleeve and he looked at her curiously. For the most part of today she noticed how solemn he had been, something very odd to notice because he was usually the sunshine. He wasn't in a good mood.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded, lips pressed together and his face set in a hard line. "I'm fine," he said before smiling.

They paused at their home room class room. He looked inside and leaned against the door frame. He gestured his head to her seat in the back. He was on babysitting duty. He sighed and patted her head.

"I've idled enough time, I need to get back," he said giving her a big hug.

"No, wait," she said grasping his arm, "at least tell me something, anything. What's wrong?"

He sighed and deflated. "Let's just say I can't have anyone I'm practically in love with."

"What? Naruto what happened?"

He laughed. "Everyone's got a boyfriend these days Sakura-Chan. Even the single ones." He enveloped her again. "Relax your little head, I'm fine."

She held on to him tightly with her free arm, inhaling his wonderfully positive and beautiful sea breeze sent. His body was hard and firm, shoulders wide enough to swallow her up and he did, chin resting on her forehead. She didn't care who saw them, something was wrong with him and he needed this hug. She felt him sigh against her and she knew he too had to be stressed but there was something –she knew- heavy weighing him down. He released her and smiled at her. She knew it was fake. For the first time she knew what it felt like to be on the other side of a fake smile and it killed her to see it coming from someone she loved.

Sakura waved and watched Naruto saunter down the halls. He wasn't coming to class. She thought he would have been staying. She wondered what they were talking about in those meetings; she got the vibe that Naruto really didn't want to be a part of it but had no choice. She stood there staring down the halls until she couldn't see him anymore, only the sole memory of knowing that he'd just walked down them.

Sakura turned and headed to her seat at the back now screaming with silence. Even with all the eyes on her she felt so alone and cold when she noticed all the empty seats around her. These were seats that would be empty for a long time if she still refused to attend those meetings- meetings that she probably needed to be at. Her heart sank a little bit, just enough for her to notice how much she loved their company, regardless of the arguments they all have been getting into lately.

Delilah came in with a fairly good mood and started taking the register without a hitch. Ino was late and Sakura almost squirmed in her seat. Ino might be a drama queen but she wasn't usually late for school. The bell for classes to begin had yet to ring and Delilah walked out to go to the staff room. Sakura looked at the clock. They had ten minutes until classes started.

Ino came in her with hair in a messy pony with a band tied around her hair, nerd glasses with sneakers, a blue high waist skirt and a black and white polka dot tank top tucked into the skirt. Ino scanned the room like she always did, spotted Sakura and bounced over to her taking Naruto's seat without question.

Ino turned and eyed Sakura up and down. "So, I was thinking popcorn, movies and maybe baking if you're up for it." she said hopefully.

Sakura smiled. "Totally on the baking and you're sure your mom isn't tired of me?"

"If she was home, I don't think so." Ino said. "Besides, the only time we spend time together is when you come over and it's a fun time,"

"I just don't know about this, it's her second time and she hasn't said anything to me. It's been three weeks. It's not going well."

"You must be blind. I don't want to admit it and I think this is a bad idea –and I will always think this is a bad idea and Sasuke and everyone else with half a brain will agree this is a bad idea- but I have to say, it's going well."

"How would you know that?"

"Because I know everything, duh. No really, if he was as wackoo as before and such bad news as he's always been, she'd totally tell you hands down. She'd tell you that there is no hope for being around your father, that he is an emotional loser –and he is-, that he's a bad man –and he is-, that he should be in prison –which he should be- and that, really, it's not a good idea –which it isn't."

"Ino-"

"How-ev-er," she said with emphasis using her index finger to get her point across, "she didn't do that because your ratchet ass wanna be daddy is putting up a front and he's doing a good job at it to get in her favor. But Rin is no fool, she knows this could be a huge disaster and that you're putting your trust in her 100% and she cannot fail you. So, why talk about it when she's not 100% sure about it being a good idea? She's taking the time out as your guardian to get this shit right, hence the surprise visit to his place for the next five days – she is so privileged to be able to do that. She's dropping in unannounced I bet, when he has no time to prepare who he wants to be, that's a good way to handle this. This entire thing being a bad idea as I mentioned prior to this," she said matter of factly.

Sakura slumped. "It's not a bad idea as you're making it out to be. I know it's a risky thing and I didn't ask her to do this for me and I never said I wanted to go and have cake with him and reminisce on the memories we don't have,"

Ino winced. "How many times have we talked about this? That's not the point." She said as she started to get a tiny bit upset.

"Then what's the point?" She asked her edging a little.

"The point is you're giving him the chance to _offer _you cake and therefore have planted the idea in his head that you might _actually agree to have it with him_. That gives him leverage and I'm not saying that you should hate him but Sakura; it's obvious that _he is a bad person._ He's a bad person that you should not get involved with."

"Everyone can change," she said her voice strained against Ino's voice of reason.

Ino was right, without a doubt and Sakura knew that her best friend was right. Ino wasn't afraid to tell it like it was and this was how the situation was set out before them. Sakura felt now that her hope had been stupid.

Ino's eyes darkened. "Everyone can change sure but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be penalized for their wrongs. A man can regret a murder down to his soul but it doesn't change the fact he's a murderer and that he took a life. Not because he's sorry means he shouldn't go to prison and pay the price. Everyone can change Sakura but not everyone _wants_ to."

Sakura looked down. "Ino, I don't have any parents. Maybe I can't but I just want to say that I've tried to fix this. Don't you see that?"

"Of course I see that! Sakura that man isn't the kind of parent you want. It's better to be an orphan than live with someone who makes you want to end your own life; don't you see you're better off without him? He's poison to you! Why are we here?" Ino asked lowering her voice because people were staring even Atona. "Why did we come here? Why did I bust my ass and shed sweat and tears to get you here? Why?"

"Ino, don't do this," she said.

"No, you don't do this. Don't you dare." she snapped. "Sakura, why did we come here?"

"So that I could get better,"

"Bullshit and you know it. That is not why we came here. We came here so that you could get away from him and live with someone who actually cared about you. Granted it's been fucked and it hasn't been smooth but that is why we came here. Why, just tell me, why do you want to go right back to the very same reason why you had to run to this town in the first place?"

"So what am I supposed to do?" She asked looking into Ino's eyes searching for something. She'd been putting this entire thing in the back of her mind until Rin just up and left this morning only leaving a little note on the fridge that this was a spontaneous trip and she'd be back in three days. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"Stop setting yourself up get hurt when you know you can't fix the broken pieces because all you're going to end up with is more scars." Ino said just as the bell rang.

Ino grabbed her stuff and stormed out of the classroom. Sakura watched her go, stung by Ino's words. Sakura wiped the tears with a shaky hand and took a deep breath. At the front, Atona was watching her with such intent Sakura felt exposed. She grabbed her things and made her way out of the classroom. They all had the same classes; Sakura didn't know where Ino thought she was going.

Sakura made her way to all her classes before lunch and sat next to Ino like they always did. This time, Ino didn't say anything through class and Sakura could hardly focus on whatever their Literature teacher was babbling about. Somewhere inside she felt bad. If anyone had to put up with her and all her bullshit it had to be Ino, all the time and every time. She understood where Ino was coming from and she understood that Ino couldn't understand. No one really would, it was just how she felt somewhere that… she didn't even know.

There were bigger things on their plate than this, they both knew that but even then, Sakura and Ino hadn't had a 'talk' in a very long time. She didn't want to end it but their relationship has been on thin ice for a while now and she felt that soon, it would break. They walked out of the class and both headed to bathroom on the far west of the school. Usually at lunch it was the least occupied by most of the school population and it was far more sterile at this time of day.

Sakura told Ino she was going to pee and closed the stall door. She heard Ino's purse open and the pop of the lip gloss. Sakura sat down on the toilet top and slumped.

"Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have said it like that." Ino called from outside the stall. "I'm sorry." She said as her hand fell over the top of the stall. "I know you're not using the toilet Forehead."

Sakura laughed and grasped Ino's hand. "I know this isn't easy for you," Sakura whispered, "and I'm sorry. I know that I'm hard to deal with."

"Sakura, I just don't want you to get hurt again, I think he's better left alone. You haven't given yourself enough time. Three months is not nearly enough, you and I both know you're not ready."

Sakura opened the bathroom stall. "I know," She said going to the sink to wash her hands even though she hadn't used the toilet.

She did know all these things and even though she didn't ask Rin to do this, she couldn't help have hope. She couldn't stop herself from hoping that maybe somewhere he was actually sorry for all he had done, even remotely. He had done so many things to her, shortened her life by decades but she just wanted to know that the one person that was supposed to be a guarantee on the people who loved her, actually did. He was her father and she owed him thanks for the life that she had, no matter what he had done. If it wasn't for him she wouldn't have been here, she wouldn't have met Sasuke and he didn't have to send her to school before she moved here but he still sent her.

Ino's phone rang and Sakura leaned on the sink and watched her answer. She didn't know how they became close friends but they just had but Ino really just didn't understand. Her face changed to almost a sneer.

"Oh you don't intend to talk to her like that do you?" Ino asked venomously. "You must have lost your damn mind, you better act right." She said before handing Sakura the phone.

She took it with a puzzled look on her face. "Hello?" she asked.

"Sweetheart," His voice almost cooed. "Do you plan to come to the meeting tonight?" Sasuke asked.

As sweet as his voice was, Sakura knew he was frustrated and she was probably the cause. Her face knotted and she slumped against the sink.

"Sasuke…" she trailed off. She couldn't be doing this, she had to suck this shit up and stop holding them back. That's what she'd been doing by not going to these meetings; she couldn't act like she wasn't important in this when she was. "Of course." She said smiling even though he couldn't see it.

"And do you intend to stop avoiding me?" he asked again.

"I haven't been-" she cut herself off and sighed. "Yes." She said reluctantly.

Silence filled the spaces between them and she could picture Sasuke's frustrated face on the other end. She heard his slow, steady breathing then he sighed. She could see the lines easing out from his brows, the smoothness surrounding his face then with eyes like atom bombs. She was avoiding him even though she knew she didn't have to.

"Alright, I'll pick you up after school." And with that the line went dead.

She slumped against the sink. "Can't I just do one thing right?" she muttered under her breath.

Ino took the phone and grabbed her hand. "You're so over dramatic," She said, "what have you done so horribly wrong now?"

"It's complicated."

Ino laughed. "Complicated my ass." She snorted. "You know, I'm going to tell you something, the best advice you'll ever get. You're going to want to pay me after I tell you. Every action causes a reaction, so whether you went left or right, something–unplanned and probably not pleasing- still would have happened and life is a fifty fifty pot. You could have done something right but _at the exact same time _you still would be doing something wrong. So why Forehead, dwell on such –as you put it- complicated matters?"

She smiled. "Everyone is getting so smart all of a sudden, what's going on around here?"

"I feel like you're insinuating that I was stupid before and that's not cool. I'm just saying, you're so out of it today and as your best friend, I've got to do what I can."

So much had happened since the last time she saw Sasuke she just…well everyone inside her head knew how it was. They went to the cafeteria where they sat with Tenten who –like all of them- seemed out of it today as well. She'd gotten the same phone call that Sakura had, she was invited to the meeting tonight and obviously, just like Ino, she didn't want to go either.

"Oh," she sat up suddenly face red with rage from the desk, "this isn't my fault. Clearly and obviously, we all have business to deal with later at Sasuke's house, whatever the fuck that means. I'm merely a listener and an observer, I don't have any weird things happening to me, I don't see where he thinks he can order me around."

"You bent the chair," Sakura offered eating the third apple she had before her.

For some estrange reason she missed Sasuke being next to her to take it without warning and take a bite. Something as simple as having him take a bite out of her apple, maybe insignificant, seemed oddly important now as she ate it without him.

"And almost smashed their table in half when you got into that argument with Neji, sorry but you're in this just like the rest of us." Ino said with a shrug. "What a bummer though,"

"It can be like a slumber party," Sakura offered, "just…with everyone."

It was started to dawn on her just how much of a mess everyone was in. Slowly but surely it was dawning on her, the gravity of the situation as she sat there. They were in a deep pot of something they themselves hardly even really understood.

"It's cute that you try so hard to be positive." Tenten said in a dead panned voice.

"I'm not looking forward to this, being around all you is just always fucking awful and I end up with bald spots and busted lips and scratches and I can never see anything and my head explodes and it's just…Christ."

"No need to be sour about it. Besides, Sakura just said it can still be a slumber party and you get to see your boyfriend." Tenten said forcing a smile and giving her the thumbs up.

Sakura laughed. "Nice effort Tenten," She praised.

"Speaking of boyfriends," Ino said, "Why is it that you have not swallowed your pride and spoken to Neji? He literally _just _called you to give you this oh so cherry news."

Tenten fluttered for a moment taken off guard by the sudden question. Ino was never one to value tack Sakura reminded herself. Sakura wanted to know when Tenten was going to work on that but unlike Ino; Sakura just didn't think it was her place. Tenten would come to them when she was ready. Clearly, Ino couldn't wait any longer. Granted, things have been tense lately since they returned from the road trip and Tenten was more evasive than ever. It wasn't hard to ignore the vibe. Sakura waited.

Tenten hesitated. Her mouth opened but nothing came out, then it opened again and still nothing. "Wh…well… I mean…I don't know what you're talking about." She said finally. "Things aren't easy and all black and white here."

"Yeah, I know that but girl, come on."

"What she means Tenten," Sakura interrupted quickly with her tenderness, "is that not talking to him won't really clear things up or fix it. Not dealing with it doesn't make it any less hard, you know?"

Tenten slumped. "I know that of course but I mean I just can't. This –everything in general- is a lot to handle. I'm not his type, I'm a mom, I have other responsibilities that take priority over me sorting things out with him."

"So that's the excuse you're using? You have a son so you can't fix every other broken relationship that you have?" Ino asked casually. "I mean, I know we're not the best of friends but we've been here for you and all these things you know. And, given recent events, I believe the smart thing to do is to work it out."

"Ino, how am I supposed to be in a relationship with someone that's not even human?" Tenten almost snapped.

Sakura suddenly started holding her breath. "Sakura's boyfriend isn't human and she makes it work," she shrugged.

"That's not the same thing, Sakura's different, she's otherworldly too so she doesn't count I don't really think you get what this is all about. This isn't just about us being together it's way more complicated than that."

"Let me break this down," Ino said, "If we're talking about different. Sakura _is _human, she is terminally ill, unlike you she can't even _have_ children and the pains that come with that is _worse _than giving birth, she goes to the hospital every single week, she has more than one soul living inside of her _and she can make it fucking work with her demon boyfriend._ If she can fucking do it, I don't see why you can't. Her life is way more complicated than yours." She snapped.

Tenten seemed to deflate. Sakura leaned over instantly and grabbed Tenten's hand without missing a beat. "She doesn't mean it like that;" she said quickly, "What she is saying Tenten, is that it is your choice whether or not you want to fix it. I know it's hard but you're just going to have find even two minutes to _try. _It won't fix itself and even though you think no one notices I do. I know how much this entire thing is hurting you."

"He won't even talk to me. I've tried."

"Well," Ino shrugged, "now you know how he felt when he tried to get your attention. You'll be seeing him today, try harder. You never know how things can turn out if you don't sort this out. You don't know what kind of sacrifices he's making for you and what he's all about. The only thing you have to lose is the idea that no one wants you, you don't know what he's giving up." She said looking at Tenten frankly.

Sakura sighed and looked at Ino. "That was a terrible, terrible thing to say," she pointed out, "you must apologize to Tenten."

Ino laughed. "I know it was but someone has to say it, besides, my point is just that she can do it. I didn't mean it any other way you're thinking about taking it, I'm just saying, if you really want something to work it requires some effort."

~O~

~O~

"This is going to hurt." Sasuke said looking down at Sakura as she lay there on the slab.

This is not what she expected when he asked her to come to the meeting tonight, not in the least. Everyone was watching her and Krystal was here and for the first time she looked pretty nervous.

Sakura didn't want to do this; she didn't want to feel any more pain and broken bones and ripping of lungs. She didn't want the agony, the ear splitting fire up her spine and pealing of her skin. She was so afraid she couldn't hold back the tears. From he said it would hurt, she damn well knew it would. She really…really didn't want to do this but she understood the fact that she just had to.

His eyes softened and he rested his head on hers. "Jesus," he muttered, "I know you don't want to do this. I don't want to do this either," He said, his lips hovering above hers.

Her lips trembled. No one could understand the fear of this. When they happened without warning, there was nothing she could do about it, she wasn't expecting it but now she knew what was coming. She didn't want to go through it like everything else she went through. She didn't want to cry but the sob came without her consent.

He held her face and kissed her. "You'll be fine," he whispered.

She shook her head. "You're lying,"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had no choice, no matter how much she didn't want to do this, she simply had to. This was her role in all of this, this was how she could help and she just had to do it. Sasuke was going begin to Soul Pass her, something Naruto had told him to do to her a very long time ago; something he had consciously –until this point- decided not to do.

Soul passing, as Sasuke had told her was when he 'investigated' the spiritual realm inside of her body. At least what's what he told everyone but she knew his true motive. The girl inside her head had information- the girl inside her head was one of them. If there was anyone who would be able to help them locate the Goddess, it would be her. Sakura just hadn't heard from her in a while, her inner wouldn't come out to talk to her about this. Now, this was their only choice.

It was something he had never done, never wanted to do due to how painful it could be and how it could affect her. It would be him, determining how many souls were inside of her –if he could- and pulling strands of history. Frankly, Sasuke wasn't even sure that he could do it which was why Hinata, Neji and Krystal were about to help him. He rest his palm right above her heart, she was trembling.

"Take a deep breath," he told her, "don't let it go until I tell you to."

Sakura sucked in a wad of air. Krystal held her head, Hinata's cold hands rested atop of Sakura's hands on her stomach and Neji held her feet, his palms extremely warm.

"Let it out,"

The moment Sakura did the chanting began but before she could register anything, her back snapped in about three places, wrenching her body in a disfigured shape. Her scream was a high shrill loud enough to shatter glass as her body pulsated. Sakura gasped with the sob but nothing came in, she felt as if she was in a vacuum, strangling. Her chest tightened painfully as her body rose and her right knee popped out of socket to bend at a right angle. Her left ankle snapped and her eyes shot opened as she drowned in midair.

_The sun was blinding and the water flaming hot as it burnt her skin. A hand was holding hers but Sakura couldn't see as the water rained down on her. She couldn't open her eyes but the hand gripped hers, desperate to save her made some sort of assurance run through her that it wouldn't let her go. She challenged the water coming down on her burning away her flesh. _

_Who wanted to save her? She couldn't think of anyone who would burn their skin with hers to save her. She wasn't worthy, she wasn't good enough. She tried to prey his hand away and paused, water washing down into her mouth. How did she know this person was a he? She looked up, water beating down on her, burning the inner parts of her eyes. She could barely make him out, water running down into her nose, drowning her. _

"_Don't let go," his voice was desperate, afraid for her and she suddenly felt inside of her collapse._

_She'd never heard so much emotion contorted in his voice before but she knew it, even underwater with her lungs filling up with this hot water and her ears clogged. Forgetting the last time she was with him, she grasped onto his hand with the other, her mouth open in silent screams. _

"Krystal…" His voice was cracked, breaking, his will and power waning.

He couldn't do this. He was killing her; he couldn't do this knowing he was the one causing her screams. Her voice was wet with blood, coated with the tide of pain. His heart was breaking.

"Don't stop!" She shouted over Sakura's blood wrenched screams, demon blood leaking from her eyes, nose and mouth.

There was a disgustingly sickening sound as Sakura's chest began to almost grind open. Heat burnt through her blouse until it was completely gone. Sasuke could hear the bones crushing as her chest started to rip open like an apocalyptic crack in the road. He bit down on his lips to fight himself, pushing himself on. He watched the split down her chest got wider, blood gushing out.

Hinata and Neji held their ground, hands on Sakura as her body seemed to collapse in on itself, the color fading from her hair until the screams suddenly stopped. They looked up and Hinata fluttered in horror. Her mouth was open, face contorted but no sound came out anymore, her eyes hauntingly blood shut and wide open.

Black blood started to leak from her temples and Sasuke saw as red blood, human blood drip from his nose onto the slab. He was bleeding her blood, he knew that just as she was bleeding his, frozen by pain. He couldn't stop, he knew that too.

_She gasped, coughing up the hot water when she hit the ground above. She lay on her back, water spilling from her eyes, nose and mouth as she choked. She couldn't see anything but she knew she wasn't lying on sand. Where was she? _

_The sun shun in her eyes, blinding her. She groaned coughing and his head hovered above hers then, hair damp and tangled, eyes swimming with dread. She didn't know he was capable of such emotion. His hands touched her face. _

"_I'm sorry," he said, his voice warm unlike its usual coldness. "I'm sorry,"_

_Her hand fell atop of his and her eyes closed. Her breathing was heavy, desperate. She wasn't angry; she had missed him too much to be. She had thought he would never open the door again and that she would never see him. She thought she would never speak to him again; never feel such a homey feeling ever again. _

"_It's…okay." She croaked. "Where am I?" she asked turning her head to look around it. _

_She was away from the beach; she was deeper inland, in the jungle that had been lined by the coconut trees. As her hearing returned slowly she could hear the rushing of water, heavy and loud, abundant and powerful. She turned her head to the other side and it was then she realized they were right above the water fall. He'd saved her from drowning. _

_She took a deep breath, air filling her lungs and she felt safe with him hovering above her, touching her face. She didn't feel like she was going to die. _

_He pulled her to her feet and she rested on him and it didn't seem to bother him that he was supporting most of her weight. She didn't ask but she knew they were headed back to the beach. She didn't understand how she got to that water fall, she didn't know how she got so deep inside this island and she didn't know why he saved her. _

_She wanted to ask but she felt as if she shouldn't. She wanted to know why he saved her when he had once tried to kill her. Why he saved her when he shut her out for so long wouldn't even crack the doors that lead her to him. She didn't ask because she just felt like soon, he was going to tell her. _

"_I had no choice," he said then, voice returned to its ice cold consistency. "Do you understand?"_

_She didn't know how but she did understand him and she did forgive him. She wasn't mad, she had never been mad at him for what he had done to her the last time they had been together. He had tried to save her, to tell her but she never listened. He had no choice, she believed him. _

_She knotted her hands into his as they walked stride by stride and she looked up at the side of his face. She enjoyed being here with him, her hand in his with his comfort and affection. She didn't know it was possible to feel so at home with someone, so comfortable and carefree. There was nowhere else she would rather be than here. _

"Sasuke, you have to hurry! She's travelling too far!" Hinata screamed breathless.

"She can handle it," He said his hands pressing down inside of her body as if he intended to crush her heart.

She seemed all but dead as she levitated a little above the slab, hair fanned out around her as if she was drowning, blood leaking from every possibly wound. It was leaking even from her ears as her eyes opened wide in complete and utter horror. Her heart was beating, his hand was literally resting on top of it, he could feel it. He wasn't going to put her through this and not even finish. They were finishing this in one go. She was strong enough. She could last. She had to. He was so close.

He felt like his muscles were being torn from his bone, eyes blazing and throbbing with the pain that shot through his skull. His skin was already colored from his curse mark, he couldn't stop it. He had to finish this.

_They paused under a tree and he enveloped her in his arms. This was paradise, it really was. However, he was there one minute and gone the next. Her eyes shot open to see his body flying across from her, hands outstretched to her. _

"_Sakura!"_

_Fear seized her like never before. _

"_No!" _

A scream that shattered Sasuke's windows left Sakura's lips before her body hit the slab with a loud thud, denting into it. Sasuke staggered back, a hand flew to his chest as blood splatters came from his mouth before he hit the floor.

Krystal blinked. It was over. "Hinata get him! Get him!" She yelled, ignoring the broken glass as grabbed and sheet and draped over Sakura's body.

This was where she couldn't fail either of them. As much of a good witch she was, she had her work cut out for her as she grabbed crystals from the floor, positioning them around the slab. She had to get Sakura back from wherever her soul was travelling. Regardless of the consequences, Krystal had to bring both of them back before she ran out of time.

_**There you have it guys! Next update coming really really soon and that's a promise. I've started college now so I have more workload but I promise the updates will be more frequent! I know this is late but I hope everyone has had a good back to school this year, that your job is not so bad anymore and that your summer was more than worth it! BE HAPPY AND ALWAYS REMEMBER TO SMILE GUYS!**_

_**Endless Love Until Next Time,**_

_**D.V**_


	39. Chapter 39

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! JUST…WORK WITH ME HERE! XD**_

_READ AND ENJOY!_

_**Title**__**:**____**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__ __**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Thirty Nine]**

Sasuke groaned and his hand flew to his face, his eyes throbbing like his head. He rolled over, a nauseating feeling washing over him. He felt hung-over, a feeling he'd hardly ever experienced and he knew he hadn't been drinking last night. What had he been doing last night? His eyes fluttered open and his brows knitted together, face contorted with the effects of morning.

"Christ," he murmured pushing himself up trying to get rid of the fog around his mind.

He swung his feet over the edge of his bed and heard a low grunt. He looked and next to him was Sakura, lying as still as the dead, pale skinned, scarred and well…naked. Even with the pains in his eyes, the throbbing of his head and the complete shit feeling he was having, he could not stop looking at her. She looked untouchable as she lay there, as if no matter how hard he tried, his body was not pure enough to touch her.

His body tingled and he knew he shouldn't feel this way but he felt like he was seeing her beyond just her naked flesh, deeper into her skin that looked like white silk and his chest shuddered from the inside. He swallowed- the desire to touch her unreal, to run his venom over her newly red scars, hardly healed as if she had been in battle. He wanted to plant feather kisses on the old bruises, old scars and creases, slick his lips over her dips and rises and devour her with his darkness- not to corrupt her as those times before but rather, to cloak her in the only way he knew he could protect her.

It was morning, she was naked and for lack of a better word, his dick suddenly got rock hard. Her hair color was natural alright. He cracked his neck, his shoulders, his spine and his knuckles before he rose. His room spun around him and he grasped his head board. He couldn't recall a time ever where the room every spun around him. He groaned again. He blinked rapidly and silently draped the sheets over her body to hide her from the preying eyes of the walls, trees and ceilings.

He all but dragged himself out of his room and made his way down the halls, towards the voices. Snippets of yesterday started to come back to his mind, slowly then fast then all at once. He used the wall to guide him to his living room where Naruto was shirtless on his couch; Shikamaru was cuddling with a sleeping Ino in another and Krystal in the kitchen. Hinata was on the floor in a corner, knees to her chest and her head on her knees. Tenten was sitting next to her and Neji entered the living room from the arch way that lead to dining section.

At first he just stood there, trying to take it all in because he felt so shitty there were no words. He cleared his throat and heads turned to look at him.

Krystal all but flew out of the kitchen. Her hands assaulted his face, looking up into his nose, his mouth and gums, his eyes and temples, pulling strands of his hair. She turned his face chucking it up to look at his neck. He leaned against the wall and grasped her hands.

"What are you doing?"

"How are you feeling?" She asked hurriedly. "Is Sakura awake?"

"No, but she's naked." He said voice hoarse and dry. "What is going on?"

Krystal placed a hand to her own head as if she was checking to see if she had a fever. She took a deep breath and led him sit next to Naruto. She didn't even wait to tear his shirt off and check his chest. Sasuke looked down at the almost completely healed scar in his chest. He leaned back and closed his eyes, willing yesterday to come to him and all too quickly it did. He noticed why no one was speaking; they were giving him time to breathe.

"Well shit," He muttered.

"You've got that right!" Krystal snorted. "For a moment I thought I lost you both and Sakura had travelled so far and had been so badly assaulted Sasuke, I don't how she made it."

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days."

He did a double take. "Two whole days?"

Krystal nodded. "Two entire freaking days, I thought you'd said 'fuck this' and copped out on me." She held his face and with a snap of her finger a cup appeared in her hand. She offered it to him and drank it without so much as a question.

He took a deep breath and looked at everyone now in the room. He was sure everyone wanted to know what happened, wanted to know where they went from here but Sasuke needed to breathe. He'd never been through something so hellish in his entire life, such ripping pain down to his cells; the depth of inside of Sakura was the most painful thing he'd ever experience. He could hardly withstand the torrents and hurricanes inside of her, pushing him out, refusing to open up to him. Christ, he had been pushing her aside and she would barely budge, strength given to her, his own soul refusing to let her go so far, to the depth and drown.

It was vague, more pain than enough but he felt it. Having ripped his own soul from her, it gave him seconds long enough to feel it, deep within her, holding her down and pinning her. Oh the demon was there alright, faint like finger tips over ashy paper, hardly detectable and he wasn't sure he would have made it out. He placed his elbows on his knees, knotted his fingers and hung his head. There was so much of her embedding itself inside of him, penetrating his flesh so hard she dripped out of his nose and mouth.

He took a deep breath. "We go to the Agape Forest in a few days," he said, mind racing with everything that needed to be done. He dragged his hand over his face, "and we get this thing started. We don't have time. Something terrible is sure to happen if we don't finish this as soon as possible."

When the Pentitantum has assigned him this task so long ago he never knew he would be sitting here with this responsibility on his shoulders. He had thought the Celestial story was mostly a myth. He had thought that they were not here; that they couldn't be. The weight of this responsibility made his shoulders hunch over. He hadn't told any of them most of what he and Kurenai had spoken about. He knew anything could be true or real, that was why he had to do this Soul Pass on Sakura.

Sakura's demon knew where Asanephpa's soul rested, who had the honor of housing a goddess in slumber. That was his true purpose for doing this, not to confirm this other soul inside of Sakura. That was the point of their trip, he knew that already. Who better to ask than a Kavazwalian that kept living in other vessels? Demons who roamed like the one inside of Sakura would know. However, that soul inside of her would not release itself from Sakura, would not give him any form of information. The demon inside of her didn't like him. Didn't want to help him.

They were running out of time now, this wasn't an overnight process and they had to get started. He just hoped, down to his bones that he didn't fuck this up. The amount of things riding on his better judgment and his leadership were too much to name. Failure was not an option and Sakura had to remain as safe as possible. He ran his fingers through his hair and grasped his chest when his insides wrenched.

He shot up out of the couch. "She's awake," he said incredulously.

Even now it baffled him. He expected her to stay asleep for at least a week after all they had been through, after all that she had to withstand.

Krystal looked up at him. "That's impossible."

Sasuke turned and headed down the hall, pushing the bedroom door open. She hadn't moved but her eyes were slightly open, weak and dazed. Even with the throbbing of his head he made his way over to her and knelt down next to the bed beside her. Her head turned slowly, lips cracked and the tears seemed to trickle out. The sheets rustled until her hand poked through, thin slim fingers.

He looked at her hand for a long time before he grasped it. Krystal was already fluttering over her, ripping the sheet from her body and her pale skin seeped into a sea like green. Her eyes rolled over, the tears leaving her slanted eyes without even the slightest amount of expression.

He watched Krystal hold a white thread above Sakura's navel, knotted it and let it fall on her stomach. Like a drop of water in a pond a ripple effect begun in her skin, like water waves running up and down her skin, washing out the green until she was a pale like white wash. As the green washed out the white thread got darker until it was as black as Sakura's skin was now white.

Krystal snatched up the thread. "Damn girl, this shit has got you messed up," she said shaking her head sadly, brown eyes grave.

Her hand fell between Sakura's thighs and his body tensed. He wanted to ask her what she was doing, he wanted to know but he kept his mouth closed, desperate not to break her concentration. Krystal closed her eyes, resting her other hand on Sakura's abdomen.

"One. Two. Three." She said breathing between each word.

She removed her hand and looked at her finger tips, inspecting it with great scrutiny. Sasuke never understood witches and how they got things done. From his nightstand she grabbed a hand wipe and wiped her hands. She inspected Sakura's face, pulling her eye lids up before nodding.

"See, I try my best not to get into complicated relationships. Did you know that? All this complicated stuff just gets my body weary; I don't how you kids do it these days. Logging around with all this drama, you people be crazy,"

Sasuke managed to roll his eyes. "Can you focus and tell me if she's alright?"

Krystal looked at him as if he just dragged her from some epiphany. "Oh right, of course, she's doing grand. Better than I thought she would really. And of course, you're right and dandy. Out cold for two days, had me in a pinch too," She said. "Are you going to stay with her?"

He nodded and Krystal smiled. She knelt next to him and patted his shoulder with beautiful sympathy. Her fingers ran over his face, under the barely visible bags under his eyes. As much as they bickered, Krystal was a very wise woman. Itachi didn't just marry her because she was carrying his soul, she was a worthy woman.

"Sasuke, I might not know what's going on entirely," she began, pointing to Sakura, "and she might not tell you but I know –and you know-, no matter how much and how hard and how long we work on her, she doesn't have a lot of time left."

Sasuke could _always _keep eye contact, nothing frightened or intimidated him but at that moment, he couldn't look at her. Instead, he looked at his hand holding Sakura's. He had always known that, it was only when he was Soul Passing her that he realized just how little that time was. With everything going on inside of her, the chaos that pushed him out and assaulted him and attacked him, he knew she wouldn't have very long. Not even a Kavazwalian could last long with so much going on inside. He knew she didn't have much time and the sad thing was, he didn't how much she _actually _had.

If there was one thing he didn't want to think about, didn't want to hear about, didn't want to know about or listen to it would be this and only this. This was a kind of truth he wouldn't accept, refused to accept; he just couldn't, at least not yet.

He nodded. "I'm aware," he said, face hard like stone, expressionless.

Her eyes softened even more. "And you know your soul won't be able to save her, right?"

"I am aware of that too." He said.

Naturally when a demon of his kind found their Gardien D'âme, they almost had two lives. If this was a normal scenario, if Sakura had her soul shattered or died with a broken heart, his soul would take her place and she would be fine. She wouldn't die. She would literally have two lives. Two chances. However, this wasn't a normal scenario, his soul wasn't the only inside of her and that meant, no matter what, no one knew what would happen to her. Naturally death would rip her from him- for good.

"I'm not trying to be a downer Sasuke; I just want to make sure that you know what most likely will happen. You're lucky she's made it this far," Krystal whispered, "this is bigger than us and we don't control what happens."

He said nothing then.

"And I know that you love her." Sasuke looked at her then and she laughed. "Not even Itachi looks at me the way you look at her. We might be connected but he can never feel me like you feel her, I know you love her,"

"Perhaps," he muttered, "perhaps I do love her but I don't love her enough to let her die." He said.

Krystal nodded and said nothing. She trailed his jaw with her dark beautiful fingers and smiled. "But you will when the time comes. Sometimes, it's better to lose those you love than have them live in torment." She whispered. "Now don't make too much noise, she needs rest." She said and left closing the door softly behind her.

Sasuke knelt there and stared at her. She looked like sleeping beauty as she lay there, her body so pale she seemed thin like paper. November was almost over and this was where they found themselves. This was where he had placed her and everyone else in his life. He remembered simpler times, monotonous times…lonely times. The longer he stared at her unconscious body the more of his past he saw. It lingered on her flesh like a toxin as if over these three months she was slowly pulling it away from him.

He had been achingly lonely before he'd met her and empty down to the depths. He had been threading the path where there was nothing strong enough to give him any form of meaning or any particular reason to want to stay. There had been no life until he met her that night in the rain, her existence capable of knocking him to his knees. Sasuke didn't know how they would all make it out of this, but he knew that they had to…everyone was suddenly worth it.

_**College sure isn't as easy as I thought it would be but here you go guys! Next update coming as soon as I have time! Don't be afraid to review or whatever. Wishing EVERYONE a fantastic week! **_

_**Loving You Always,**_

_**D.V**_


	40. Chapter 40

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! So I am completely aware that I haven't updated in months, that more than half of you guys have forgotten about this story and I'm sincerely sorry about that. I've been going through so much that I could hardly write anything but don't worry, I'm back on track and I'm writing like mad crazy. I know some of you can't even bother to go through the whole ordeal of maybe re-reading or keeping up with me and I'm sorry I've slacked off so much. I know this story has lost much of it's popularity and fan base because of this long unannounced hiatus but hopefully, you guys can give me and this story one more shot. Really…I don't know what else to say…I'm just really sorry…. So very very sorry…**_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty]**

**(A/N ****For those who have forgotten, you might have to back track to chapter20 to ensure that you understand things 100%)**

Sasuke laid out the map on the wall using tacks to keep it in place, smoothing out the creases as everyone shuffled in. The windows were open with icy breeze coming in. The weather was changing fast with December so close nearby. Sakura was in his bed room probably asleep now and exhausted. She'd insisted on going to school, insisted on doing home work and insisted on pushing herself so hard. He shook his head. He didn't have space to think about her at the moment, not with everything on hand.

Naruto stood at the door, arms folded as Hinata entered the room. His eyes seem to linger on the cold blooded beauty. Sasuke knew how much Naruto really didn't want to be here for these meetings as of late, not with everything that they were discussing since they got back from their trip. However, Sasuke couldn't do anything about it; Naruto just had to be present.

"Close the door and take a seat," Sasuke commanded Naruto.

The blue eyed boy sighed heavily and silently did as he was told, taking a seat at Sasuke's right hand without complaint. The room fell silent and Sasuke leaned back.

"Alright, let's get all this out of the way before we get into anything. Neji, care to share?" Sasuke asked almost warily.

Neji smacked his lips together. "There is no way around this as bad of an idea as it is considering. Custom won't permit otherwise," he said.

Naruto hissed and rolled his eyes. Hinata's eyes seemed to water. "There is nothing we can do, we've tried everything but this is how it has to be."

"Tenten is his Keeper; regardless of her being human that's what she is. To marry someone else is against law within that context." Naruto objected.

"I know that," Neji quipped, "do you think I want to do this? Tenten is human, we don't even talk given the circumstances, no one has heard of her and sheer fact of strengthening this line and contracts signed before either of us was born, Hinata is the only choice."

Naruto opened his mouth but instantly Sasuke held his hand up. "So you will marry Hinata then?"

"So it would seem."

"And you have done all you can?" Sasuke asked carefully. "I know she has been staying with you for her own protection from her father but have you done all you can?"

"Sasuke, I've been dealing with this for months, there is nothing else. With the uprising and the chaos that is going on, now isn't even the best time for this kind of rebelliousness."

"Hinata, have you faced your elders?"

She nodded.

"What happened?" He asked.

"They beat her with the intent to kill her," Neji said, "and I won't have them putting their hands on her like that again. It isn't worth it, unless you would rather I have her killed and her head placed on a silver platter. It is my job to protect her; I will not put her in that position again."

"Then what more is there for us to do about it Naruto? This is Dragon territory where we do not belong so fully and we cannot personalize and criticize their tradition."

"I'm not incapable of understanding how grand their union would be, regardless of how I feel about it." Naruto said coldly. "If we could move on in the discussion that would be nice,"

"I agree," Gaara said, "I've come from far and there need to be no discussion about the things we cannot change."

"Then the question is, when do we set out?" Shikamaru asked changing the subject quickly.

Sasuke pushed his chair back and stood. He gestured to the map. "This is a detailed map of the Agape forest." Sasuke said and with a marker drew a dot on the map. "This is where our God is, correct Hinata?"

She nodded, casting her eyes down. "Yes,"

"We have five dozen spears and we will be forming five barriers with them. We start here where our God is from five points," he said, indicating using dots on the map, "and move outwards, forming the barriers as we go."

"I get that, what good comes of it?" Neji asked. "What exactly are we hoping to accomplish from this?"

"As he says that, you still haven't told us all about your meeting with Kurenai," Shikamaru said.

"In due time, it's all fairly complicated." Sasuke stated reluctantly, "Now, given the strange happenings going around, humans turning into Kavazwalians and getting powers, the chaotic amount of awakenings and impossibilities caused by this god, our first task is to rectify _that_ situation. To do that, we need barriers; barriers strong enough to lock all powers emitted from this being within a perimeter where it cannot escape and affect the balance of things."

"We're caging it?"

"Basically. Hopefully that will prevent more female dragons, enable the testing's to move faster than the new breeds and give the councils enough time to work out a regime to get things back in order. Awakenings are happening faster than we can accommodate or even find them. If things continue at this rate, given enough time, we could have ourselves a war going on."

"What of those in the process of being affect? Does cutting of the source stop everything mid-drive?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke glanced at Hinata who shook her head. Her voice was smaller than ever before and she dared not look at Naruto. "No, it doesn't. Once the awakening has started it can't be stopped. Female dragons will continue to happen but only those that have already been affected which is a selected few."

"Are you one of them?" He asked again.

She swallowed. "I-"

"We don't know yet. There's no way to tell." Neji said answering for her. Her face flushed, relieved. "I get that completely but what are we going to do afterwards?" Neji asked directing the conversation.

"Don't worry about that, I'll worry about that. Neji you have bigger things on your hands at the moment with your fiancé."

"I am not his fiancé." Hinata shot out, her head snapping up.

Naruto laughed. "Who are we kidding? That's exactly what you are." He said. "Then you'll be his wife then the mother of his children and whatever new breed he'll give you, since that is the whole plan, pure bloodline, new breeds and all."

"Jesus." Shikamaru muttered. "Naruto,"

"He's emotionally on edge due to the circumstances," Sasuke said calmly planting a hand on his friend's shoulder, "he doesn't mean it in that way."

"Oh he means it," Neji said, eyes darkening.

Naruto slumped. "No, not like that dude, no I didn't." he conceded shifting in his chair.

Sasuke sighed internally. This was going to take twice as long because they were going to keep straying to this. He wasn't looking forward to playing referee in this meeting today with everyone on edge. He knew Naruto hated the situation, he would too if he couldn't have the girl he really wanted. However, this wasn't the time to let feelings take precedence over all that which needed to be done.

"You've never really even asked Hinata on a date. Halloween doesn't really count." Gaara pointed out. "So am I missing something here?"

"We do not want to go there with him Gaara," Sasuke warned, "or stray from the topic."

"I'm merely curious," He said innocently, "you've had your chance more than ever these couple months."

"It's not as easy as asking her fucking out and she can yes to me, that shit isn't permitted." Naruto snapped. "God, you're not blind Gaara,"

"Who said I was?" He asked smirking. "Consider the fact that Hinata simply isn't _in love_ with you and that's why she's not trying _harder_."

"Alright enough!" Sasuke ordered. "Enough. Focus on the fucking map on the fucking wall and pay the fuck attention."

With a roll of his eyes Sasuke informed each man where they were supposed to be and told Hinata that at all times she was supposed to be by his side. Sasuke noticed that she hadn't had a vision yet and that for an extended amount, they were going in blind. He also considered all other variables as they eased into the discussions at hand.

They all acknowledged that Xyliala and the Garmora's had already landed in Barmort which was head dragon territory and they had to act with that over their heads. With all the social uproar, everyone was watching these two clans of dragons, using them as evidence of what would happen if they too decided to revolt. Everyone was also watching the councils and Sasuke knew how much of a secret this entire thing had to be. If anyone found out thatRugonshi was somewhere unconscious feeding power to everyone, mortals included, everything could change in a split second. Everyone wanted power, no telling what would happen.

He knew how much he couldn't trust anyone, not even his knights. He had inkling down somewhere in the pit of his stomach, not enough to act on but enough not to ignore. He had a feeling that there was something untouchable inside of Sakura, a brick wall. Something pushing him out like the demon inside of her, but something barred…unreachable right now as incredulous as it seemed.

The only person he could tell –which he hadn't but could- would be Sakura and not because she was his girlfriend. No. It was because she was a part of all of this more than he or anyone really understood; she was important. If she hadn't come into town this wouldn't have been triggered and there was no telling what could happen if he didn't stay in tune with her.

The meeting was adjourned at around eight and everyone shuffled out except Naruto who had his head on the desk. Sasuke really wasn't the comforting type but he could relate to his friend and believe it or not –and contrary to popular belief- when Naruto wasn't in a good mood, he wasn't either. He leaned back in his seat and watched his best friend.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"There isn't anything I can do," Naruto said simply, "this is just how shit is, no one told me to fall inlove with cold blood." He said.

"That's it then? You won't even talk to her about this? Certainly an arrangement can come of this."

"I don't want a fucking arrangement and Gaara is right. I've known this girl for thousands of years (- or known of her- literally) and if it wasn't for all this fucking chaos, we would probably never have spoken. I've never asked her out or anything like that,"

"That's really not the point. How often you take her out is irrelevant,"

Naruto stood. He looked Sasuke in the eyes and Sasuke could see the resolve in his eyes. "The thing is, it's pointless fighting for a girl who isn't in love with you and we both know Hinata doesn't love me. I'm just being a pussy about it,"

"We both know that she's not the only one you're falling in love with either," Sasuke said matter-of-factly, "or are you under the impression that I haven't noticed Dobe?"

He froze and looked at Sasuke long and hard before chuckling. "That's for another time. A time I will try my best to never let come." He promised. "Your exhausted girlfriend could use your company." He muttered as he walked out.

Sasuke turned to look at the map on the wall for a small moment. He was right; he had a girlfriend in the next room that was probably by this point in time full on crazy. He hated that he was the reason all of this happened to her. The guilt. If he wasn't smart he would let it kill him.

Winter was rolling around and he hoped that he could actually find the time to attend the banquet this year, take her and do something special for her. He just didn't know, wasn't sure how all of this would pan out.

He pushed his chair back and made his way to the adjacent room. He knocked. He heard her groan, heard sheets ruffled and pillow fluff.

"In case you're doing something you shouldn't be doing, I'm going to open this door now." he warned.

He heard her laugh and he pushed the door open. Her hair stuck out in all directions as she sat up, the white sheets tangled around her. She was rubbing her eyes.

"Did I wake you?"

"It's fine," she croaked, "I wasn't sleeping well anyways,"

"Nightmare?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. His eyes softened and he made his way over to her. Every night she had them; the nightmares. Some nights were worse than others and if he wasn't a hard man, it would break him because he was the cause of most of them. He closed the door behind him and went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Complicated." He said falling backward onto the bed. "This is all complicated."

Soft hands touched his arm. He turned his head to look in her direction. She smiled softly. "Everything will be fine. I didn't even know that they were supposed to get married. Naruto never wanted to tell me,"

"He's not dealing with it well,"

"I wish it didn't have to happen to him, I know how much he likes her and she has the biggest crush on him ever." She sighed. "Nothing can be done?"

"I can't interfere; they both knew this was coming. Its tradition, it's not something new. I don't have time to focus on that," he said pointing to the night stand, "and I've noticed you haven't drank what's in that cup." He stated.

She contorted her face. "Did you taste it? It's horrible. No matter how long I leave it there, it's still piping hot."

"Drink it. As much as I want you here, you can't stay here forever. You have to go home and you have to be in better condition before I leave. I _will _be leaving,"

"I know that." she rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. I don't need to drink anything and I could stay here."

His eyes hardened. "Don't even think about it. Don't even say it. You're not staying here alone. Rin will be home and I have people to look after you."

"We're always talking about these sorts of things, have you realized?"

"Don't try to change the topic on me,"

She laughed, green eyes flushing to life before him. She cocked her head to one side and touched his face. Her hands were still cold –she wasn't fully recovered yet. He grasped her hand and tangled their fingers and deflated.

"Fine," he said, "we won't talk about it. Just know that you can't stay here. Rin needs to see you when she gets back."

"You know what I think?" Sakura said. "I think we should take a nap. That's what I think we should do. You're frustrated, you can't keep doing this. You were affected too, you're not indestructible. You should sleep."

"I can't,"

"If I can sleep, so can you." she said warmly holding on to him. She was always just so warm, always just so brilliant. "Come on, come into bed with me. We don't even have to sleep. We can talk about something else."

With a sigh he nodded and climbed into the bed with her, tucking himself under the sheet. It's not as if he could just say no to an invitation like that and believe it or not, she kind of had him whipped. She was right about things. He hadn't been sleeping –and he would if he could but his mind was always just too busy and there was always something else he needed to do. You would think that with so many years on his head he would be prone to stress but he really wasn't.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" she asked suddenly.

His eyes dimmed in its shimmer. The memory exploded in his head as another one ended. It was vivid, as if he was there again. He remembered the first time they met –wasn't his best moment but he remembered none the less.

"Are you certain that's the most important thing to talk about?" he asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"Well, all you have done since we came back is talk about important things: depressing things. You just came out of a meeting where all you did was talk about important things. I don't…I don't want to talk about all that, just for a second is all." She said sighing. "Come on Sasuke, give yourself a break, even if it's a small one. Please,"

His heart dropped like a rock in his chest. He tried not to let it show on his face and nodded. "Well then, do _you _remember the first time we met?" he countered.

He knew she probably thought the first time they met each other was at school when his eyes were hostile then and she feared him. Back then he seemed to have hated her more than anyone else she'd probably ever met. Now they were hostile with a flame that seemed to be keeping her warm. That wasn't the first time they met though, he knew that.

"We met in class." She said aloud yet she was uncertain as she looked at him questioningly.

He shook his head. "No. We met in the rain, in the dead of the night in the middle of an empty street." He said.

She looked at him full of confusion and he smiled. It was a slow, adoration kind of smile that came so easy. His smile seemed to breathe tenderness, softness and vulnerability she didn't even know was possible. Her eyes widened at the sight. He looked like a fallen angle, like a gift from Grace. He didn't smile much –hell he didn't smile at all- but at this moment he couldn't help it.

"I told you, you wouldn't remember." he said almost embarrassed at the memory. He could be cruel. He had been cruel.

"I don't." she said confused.

He licked his lips. "It's not the most beautiful or romantic of encounters I must admit. You wanted a phone call, you were dying and I well…at first didn't want you give it to you." he said his eyes lighting. "_I was the man with the umbrella_." He said ominously his eyes dimly twinkling.

She sat there stock still as if he'd shot her. She looked at him as if I was seeing him differently.

"What?" she whispered.

"When you stepped on that pavement my knees buckled and I wanted so badly to fall to your feet. I can never forget that. Ever."

"It was you?" she asked stunned.

He nodded and tucked his hands behind his head as he got even more comfortable on the bed. "Yes, it was me." he replied. "That sweetheart, was our first encounter."

She leaned back and pulled her knees closer to my chest. "Seriously?" He chuckled and nodded his head simply. "Wow,"

"I know, simply shocking." He responded sarcastically.

"It was you all this time?"

"Yes."

"You saved my life." she said.

"I hardly did. It was just a phone call,"

"You don't even know what had happened." she replied in a haze. "You don't know how I even got there."

Were they really that destined to be here that she met him before she even knew who he was? Was the scheme of life _that_ grand? Sasuke was slowly starting to believe that it was.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked persuasively.

She laughed. "It's late,"

"And you can skip school tomorrow and stay with me so what does time matter?" he asked slyly. "I am leaving soon after all,"

She tried not to smile. "You don't want me to learn do you? I can't skip class with you. I've been absent so much, I probably won't be able to graduate even if I do make it."

"Of course you can and that's exactly what you might have to do seeing I'm not going and you're currently in my house."

"Rin will kill you."

"She doesn't even know you're here."

"What if she catches us?"

"That's literally impossible and you know it. You're the one who didn't want us to talk about the obvious, so let's talk about this instead." he said. "Lie down beside me."

"I'm looking at you."

"You know what I look like." He said.

She smiled. "So?"

He sighed. "Fine, stay all the way up there away from my amazing embrace even though you're the one who invited me to bed in the first place. Hardly fair." He teased. "You were saying?"

"I was kind of buried in the soil for a while after something happened between me and my father. What that something is, I don't know…I don't remember. I suppose we had a fight, we had quite a lot of those and he was notorious for sedation. I don't really remember much. I remember that I couldn't breathe, my skin burnt and there was this…this load on me that was wet and sticky. I clawed out." she said shivering visibly at the thought.

He shot up and looked at her incredulously. He hadn't been expecting that kind of story. He should have known something like that was coming. He didn't believe that Sakura actually had anything that was remotely a good memory but still. That escalated quickly.

"He buried you?" She shrugged. "You are lying to me Sakura." He said.

She smiled sadly at him. "No I'm not, don't be like that. I'm not the kind of person who should be sedated considering I'm hooked on medication. You asked. That's what had happened and I was dying but I'm always dying I guess. You saved me, see? Like, actually and literally."

"He buried you alive?"

"Yes." Then she laughed. "Now that's what you call a shocker isn't it? I know, but the past is the past I guess."

He shook his head. "If I believed that we would get into an argument of why Rin is at his house trying to make 'amends'."

"Don't be angry."

"I'm not." He lied.

She ran her hand down his chest. "Yeah you are. It's long gone." she mumbled. "What about our second meeting?" she asked changing the topic and just this once, he let her.

"Ah, the one you do remember." he mused. "You were…gorgeous and at the time I hated that." he admitted.

"Is that why you glared at me?"

He chuckled. "It was a whole ride of things to be honest. You were a pain in my ass for a while," He said.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." He said looking up at her. "And here we are."

"Can you tell me something?"

"It depends." He said.

She glared. He knew she hated when he did that. "Sasuke," she pouted.

"Ask away." he said lightly, "since we're conversing and all of that."

"Do you remember the first time you took me to Almarkham and you told me you had two mothers?"

"I remember every single thing that we've ever done together, when we did it and how long it all lasted. Of course I remember." he said.

"I want to hear the story." she said.

"Well I can't tell you if you won't lie down with me," he said simply.

"Are you serious?"

"So serious right now. I didn't come here to lie down on this bed alone and no I don't want to cuddle with the pillow." He said before she could make a smart comeback.

She rolled her eyes and scooted down in the bed under the sheets. His arms wrapped around her and her head rested on his chest as she idly started drawing patterns on his shirt. His body felt so hard, muscled yet soft and comfortable.

"So you want to hear how I was born then?" he said mysteriously.

She laughed. "And I'm the dramatic one in our relationship." She teased. "I do. I think it'll be interesting."

"Well…it was taboo." He said. "Mikoto –the woman who is my mother now- could not have children. She was one of the few pure breeds of her kind. She could carry a child yes but she was incapable of conceiving on her own. There is this forbidden technique called Transition. She found a woman named Sakimochi who she made have sex with my father in order to breed. My brother was conceived and she carried him for five months before performing the technique and transferring Itachi from her own womb into the womb of Mikoto. Women don't perform this technique because it can kill a woman and bleed out her insides. It's about a hundred times more painful than child birth and the pains last the entire four months without stopping…ever." He said.

"And she did that again?" She asked incredulously. That was insane.

"She wanted another child." Sasuke shrugged. "However when Mikoto decided that she wanted another child **Asanephpa **had punished Sakimochi and made her human. During that time, humans and Kavazwalians didn't get along. That was during the period where everyone roamed and the place was in chaos and they had to restart. Sakimochi did it anyways and bred for my father again and I was conceived. There was a problem with my conception. It was harder and far more painful for the both of them." He said.

"What happened?"

"My father is very powerful and Sakimochi was no longer Kavazwalian. She was human and I was a Kavazwalian or as you'd say -a demon child. It was harder for her to carry me and she couldn't carry me for the full five months. She could have only done it for three. I was stronger than my brother and it took three witches to transfer me from Sakimochi to Mikoto. Mikoto had trouble carrying me. I was conceived in Sakimochi and I had bitten her when I was conceived, don't ask me how I have no idea. That's what Sakimochi told me, she would of course know. I wasn't compatible with Mikoto's body and it was a fight for the both of us. I almost killed her about eighteen times during the six month period. She starved because I prevented her from eating, she was bed ridden the entire time and I fed on her soul through the six months. When I was born, I still didn't take a liking to Mikoto and I spent a good amount of my years with Sakimochi. Mikoto paid the price as well for defying Nature twice. Her kind was wiped out from head to toe as payment."

She sat up and stared at him. "That must have been horrible."

"It must have." He said unsympathetically.

His hands gripped her waist and he pulled her over him. She straddled him and tried not to let bad and she pinned his hands against his head and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Her hands were shaking he could feel it. he could hear the hammering of her heart, the blood rushing through her vines, pulsating throughout her arteries and her cheeks flushed so red he was sure they hurt but she didn't move. She stayed on top of him.

They had been working on that or at least he had been. He knew she wasn't comfortable with their relationship taking on the sexual tone it was starting to. He knew that past experience destroyed her and he had to approach her with caution. He remembered how she avoided him like he was the plague after their time in the forest. She wouldn't even look him in the eye or hold a conversation with him. Now here she was. She was getting braver.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." he warned.

"And why not?" she challenged.

"Things can get very hot in here." he said. "We've been over this. You're also not equipped for said hotness, you're _recovering_." He pursed his lips together deviously.

She grinned. "I don't know what you mean." she laughed pressing her forehead against him. It was unnatural to be this happy with someone you've hardly ever known.

Their eyes were so close he felt like the colors blended in and mingled with each other, creating a new color he'd never seen. His voice was so luring, hot scotch poured over smooth ice. Her skin tingled and the hairs stood on end when he spoke.

"Kiss me." he whispered.

She could not resist him. Her lips brushed against his and what always happened erupted. He felt like he was suddenly possessed by some otherworldly kind of passion and her hands squeezed his. He could hear the blood rushed to her brain and the fear dwindled as a fire inside of her kindled. He knew she was afraid and wanted to stop kissing him, he could feel it but for some reason, she didn't. Her hands cradled his face and he held on to her hips, he couldn't let go. He couldn't let her go, couldn't rip his mouth from her as the weakness took over his body. An air washed over them and she gasped over his lips.

"Must you go?" She pleaded.

"Yes," he rasped.

_**College sure isn't as easy as I thought it would be especially with all my situations at hand. The whole thing has been long and hard, stressful but I want to be able to get into medical school so badly I figure I need to shed more blood than others. I hope you guys don't give up on this and up on me. **_

_**PS: Look out for more chapters. They're on their way just wait and see. **_

_**Thankful for all your support beyond words,**_

_**D.V**_


	41. Chapter 41

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! I bet you guys didn't expect another chapter so soon huh? Well I've got a regime now and it's keeping things good. So here you go guys!**_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty One]**

"They're watching you but don't feel paranoid about it," Sasuke said.

Sakura laughed. "We've been over this; I'll be fine I'm sure. You're the one I'm worried about," she mumbled swiveling in her chair to look at him.

In a couple minutes he would be leaving and that frightened the hell out of her. She knew how dangerous this was and also how important. She didn't want to be without him for as long as he would be gone with everyone else. She would be going to school alone, sitting in class would feel empty and she wouldn't have him around.

There was also the small fact that Atona would be coming home tonight and she would have to face the wrath of her all on her own. They haven't talked since she left a while back, even at school they hardly made eye contact but that didn't mean anything. It just meant that they were strangers who would be living in the same house.

She felt like she came here and ruined her life. She felt as if she came here and ran Atona out of her own home which is something she never wanted to do. Everyone told her not to blame herself but she couldn't help but feel responsible because well, in a way she was. If she wasn't here then Atona wouldn't have been gone for so long.

"Do you think she still hates me?" Sakura asked in a wary voice.

"Probably," Sasuke agreed.

"That's not helping,"

"She's always hated you, if she still does I don't see what that changes. What matters is that she's left you alone and I don't have to worry about her attacking you while I'm gone."

"Do you honestly think she would do that?"

"She's made it clear before that she would have done anything." he reminded her pushing himself up from her bed. "Come here,"

She rose from her chair silently and made her way to him. He enveloped her in a hug and she knew he was ready. Since they got back things have been so hectic and he'd been so busy. Lately she forgot about his other life, the one where he was famous and well known. The life where he actually made music and sang songs and went to concerts and did interviews and other things people who were famous did.

Now it felt so long ago that it could have been mistaken for a dream. She tried to grasp the threads of all that had happened since she got here but found it hard to really grab all the pieces to make it all understandable.

She inhaled his scent slowly; her hands wrapped around him hugging him tightly, her head resting on his chest. She had somebody. It seemed ridiculous to still be baffled by it after such a long time but she had somebody. He had been made for her or she for him but this was meant to be, there were supposed to be together, they were meant for each other. She had somebody. Tears gathered in her eyes when she felt his chin rest on her head. She didn't let them fall though, she didn't want to make this over dramatic or seem to weak.

She just really didn't want him to go. Anything could happen to him while he was gone. No one knew what to expect when they went to that forest. No one knew how long it would take and she didn't know if she would hear from him or not.

"Rin is here now," he consoled because she knew the only reason he hadn't left was because he didn't want her to be home by herself. "Are you going to miss me?" he asked.

She nodded in his chest. "Be safe,"

"I will be," he said rocking slightly from side to side with her, "don't do anything stupid."

"I won't," she promised.

He released her and kissed her forehead before letting his lips linger on hers. "They're waiting for me; I don't know how long I will be gone."

She took a deep breath. "You should get going then." She said determined.

He grasped her chin and looked her dead in the eyes. His face was smooth and soft, his eyes warm to look into but he was serious as if what he was about to say was not to be taken for a joke. She stared into them, waiting for him to speak. His eyes searched hers, looking for something and he took a deep breath.

"I love you."He breathed.

Everything in the world stopped. The world spun around her as blood rushed from her head. The floor skidded from under her and she stared at him wide-eyed. His words echoed inside her head, bouncing off the walls she thought she imagined it. The revelation hit her hard but before she could even say it back, he had kissed her lips again and vanished. Just like that he was gone.

Her heart wrenched in a way that had never felt so good before. She broke out into a goofy grin that swallowed her face whole. She sat down on the edge of her bed, taking deep breaths but her heart continued to race. It wasn't as if she didn't technically know that, she did –in a sense- but she never thought he'd ever say it. At least not say it first. Not so soon. There had been so many times where the words had lodged in her throat, afraid to come out even though she wanted to say it.

There was a knock on her door frightening her and dragging her to the real world. The door opened and Rin stuck her head in and smiled.

"Well, feels like I haven't see your face in ages. Can I come in?" she asked kindly

Sakura nodded. "Of course you can,"

She walked in her eyes looking tired but her face was radiant. Her black hair was in a messy bun, her trench coat open. She opened her arms. Sakura pushed herself from her bed and walked into them. Rin was a warm woman to hug, her body loving in the embrace she took Sakura in.

"It's so good to see your face again! I don't know what came over me; I never intended to leave for so long," she said sighing lovingly, "I mean, your father and everything and work, I hope Ino's mother doesn't think I'm a bad guardian."

"That's perfectly fine, Ino's mother didn't really mind."

She wrinkled her nose. "You've been forced to stay with them too long, which of course I'm completely sorry about. So much to do and sort out, I'm glad that you're okay and you look just radiant." She said smiling warmly. "Well, of course we need to talk and you my dear, need to head on down stairs. Someone wants to talk to you,"

She coiled away slightly. "I'd rather not; you don't have to make her talk to me," she said quickly, "I mean everything is okay Aunt Rin,"

Rin laughed holding her hands up in surrender. "I'm not making her do anything. She asked for you, completely on her own accord."

Lacing her hands with Sakura she led her out of the room. Sakura smiled. She hadn't really realized how much she had missed Rin until she was back in her warm presence. She was a good woman Sakura couldn't deny that. She was a good aunt for taking Sakura in without so much as a fuss and going the lengths for her that she was. it reminded her of who her mother was supposed to be to her, the love she was sure she once had just couldn't remember.

"Normally when I travel my husband is usually home but as you've noticed, he's not here. He won't be back until January, I don't mean to leave you alone so often," she apologized again, "or burden your friends like that."

"Ino really doesn't mind," Sakura assured her, "or her mother, we're like family too so it's okay when I stay with them." She said feeling guilty about lying when she had been staying with Sasuke.

As they entered the hall Atona stood. Sakura had to look at her really well. For a moment, she didn't recognize her without all the makeup on her face. Her face seemed more angelic, round and polished like her mother's rather than it's usually flawless 'airbrush' like tendency. The purple highlights in her hair were gone and her blue eyes seemed bigger. Her hair was caught in a ponytail and the tail draped over her shoulder. She had black gloves playing with in her hands.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Mom, could you…uh… give us a minute?" she asked uncertainly.

Rin nodded. "Of course, I'm probably just going to go in my room and call your father. I haven't talked to him since yesterday, he's probably concerned." She said patting Sakura reassuringly on the shoulder before leaving.

Sakura turned to Rin, fighting the urge to ask her to stay. She completely understood if Atona hated her, it made sense. It was her fault that Atona got kicked out of her own house and had such a big fight. This wouldn't have happened if she wasn't here and she knew Atona didn't like that. She took the guy Atona had always wanted and was practically fondling with him amongst other things. She wasn't proud of any of this, not one bit.

Atona sighed heavily and waved her hand dramatically. "Well have a seat already,"

Sakura looked down before taking a seat on one of the couches. The air felt tight and awkward around them as if it was a saturated sheet over them that would rip at any moment.

"I'm sorry about everything," Sakura blurted before she could stop herself. She didn't know what to really do or say.

Atona looked at her as if she was crazy. "You're joking right? You're _sorry?_"

She shook her head. "Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for her to kick you out or anything like that to happen. I know that it's my entire fault, I really didn't want anything like that to happen and I totally understand if you don't like me. I haven't done much for you to like me in the start, I didn't mean to get caught up with anybody, I really tried not to… I don't…I'm sorry and I don't know how to make it up to you or show you how truly sorry I am. I know you're probably saying in your head that I should just stop talking to them but it's not that easy…I don't know how to explain it. It's not on purpose or to upset you or anything, I'm not that kind of person, I swear I'm not,"

"You're really like this aren't you?" she asked in a quiet voice, "Jesus, you're naturally like this?"

Sakura's face contorted in confusion before she hung her head. "Unfortunately. I don't mean to be a p-"

She leaned forward. "_I_ am so sorry," she said carefully and seriously, "Sakura I am so sorry for all the horrible things I've done to you. I know apologizing doesn't make anything better and it doesn't change what I did or even how I treated you but honestly, from the bottom of my heart I'm sorry. I'm the one who should be apologizing, not you."

Sakura looked up at Atona almost wide eyed, taken aback by the sudden apology. "What?" she squeaked.

Atona leaned back and ran her fingers through her hair before sighing. "I've been such a bitch, like to be honest I can't even believe or come to terms with half the things I've done, especially to you. I don't know what I was thinking or who I thought I was…" she broke off to look up at the ceiling, "it really doesn't get any more pathetic than me, I don't even know who that was. It was a phase, a reckless unforgiveable phase."

Sakura sat there speechless, not entirely sure if she was supposed to say anything. She just stared at Atona, unable to completely take in her words as she said them. Was she really apologizing? Atona never struck Sakura as the kind of girl to apologize, she didn't come off as that kind of person and she had been in Kanoha long enough to at least make that kind of judgment.

"Right and now you're wondering if this is some sort of joke," she said. "it's not. I'm not going to say something like 'I've seen the errors of my ways' (which I have) and that I'm a brand new person because well, I don't think I am. There isn't any excuse for what I did or who I was to you, I was blindsided." She laughed. "You know what it feels like now that I look back? Like I was possessed by some kind of monster, I mean I am a bitch –there really is no hiding that- but I've never been like that before and those highlights, Jesus those awful highlights! What was I thinking when I did that awful hairdo?!"

"You're _apologizing_?" Sakura asked shocked.

Atona cringed, her blue eyes shining with some sort of never before seen guilt. "Right. I know, it's stupid and it doesn't change anything. Like… I don't even know, I thought this would be a conversation, that you would dish out all the terrible things I've done and I would just apologize for all of them but you're barely even saying anything now which I totally understand. Like it's cool if you hate me, I kind of hate me too right now and I know nothing I say makes a difference, I still fucked you over pretty fucking hard and ruined you more than you already are –no offense- and it was just not a nice thing to do. I mean honestly, I don't know why I did half the things that I did and that last thing….God I'm so sorry. I didn't even know." her words caught in her throat, her eyes welling with tears.

Sakura just stared at her calmly without any expression. She didn't really know how to feel about any of this. She wasn't sure if she should smile or look sympathetic or even bored so she decided to keep her face neutral.

Atona held her head down as a sob escaped. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea that was on the tape, I didn't mean to show the whole school that…God I didn't know, if I had I would have never done that, no matter what was going through my head I wouldn't have done that to you. I didn't even know…when mom told me…I felt like such shit. I can't say sorry enough, you're such a good person, sitting here right now in front of you, it's impossible to deny that. I just…I don't know. I would have come to you sooner but I've just been so scared to confront you about all that I've done to you. I didn't know how to, I didn't know what to say –hell, I still don't, at least not really I'm just rambling right now."

"It's okay," Sakura said forcing a smile. "You don't have to apologize anymore, it's okay."

Atona looked up. Stunned. "What?"

"It's fine." Sakura said kindly. "The past is the past right? As long as you're not mad at me I did run you out of your home."

"How could I be!?" she exclaimed. "You haven't done anything to me, ever! I mean you could have told on me but you never even did that! Not once! You could have done so many things to make my life hell. Please, run me out of my house? I'm surprised my mother even put up with me for so long. You can't just forgive me like that."

She laughed. "But I do." she said. "Nothing can be done about it, everything has already happened. I try not to think about it,"

"I'm not making excuses and don't think I'm saying this to be selfish or anything and don't tell mom that I told you this. I don't know what happened, one minute my dad was here then he wasn't and I haven't even gotten a chance to talk to him since he's been gone. I guess I got caught up in blaming others for how I felt and why. But you didn't deserve it, for fuck sake, we're related. You're my own flesh and blood, I mean, I was just terrible."

"We can be friends," Sakura said smiling feeling this relief was over her.

Sayouku Changlin had actually been helping her with a lot of things going on with her life. Sakura couldn't hold on to these things and even though Sayouku didn't say it exactly like this, Sakura knew she needed to harden her heart towards people so that they didn't have so much power to hurt her. Letting go, forgiving and not caring were all things she's consciously been working on.

She admitted how she felt to herself and that's all that mattered to her. Being angry wouldn't change anything, being hurt or hanging on to it. Letting go wasn't easy, it would have to be one of the hardest things she'd been trying to get herself to do but she was still trying. No effort went unnoticed and this was another chance to work on that. Self improvement and she was going to take it.

Atona picked at her nails while tapping her feet on the floor. She coughed and cleared her throat. "And about your boyfriend," Sakura stiffened instantly, "I'm so over it. I had no right, I was a crazed bitch and I won't even try remotely to come between you guys. I guess sometimes you get so obsessed with something you think you have rights to it and if you don't then no one else should have it either. I don't know, obsessed with their music, and had a fan club…the whole nine yards. I was out of line and it was/is none of my business."

Sakura waved her hand in front of her aimlessly and smiled brightly. "Like I said, it's absolutely okay. We can be friends."

Atona laughed. "I don't think you would want to be friends with me. I might not be crazed and blindsided but I've always been a bitch, one way or another."

"Potato poo-taa-to," Sakura said, "It's the same thing one. It's okay Rin missed you and it's not that bad."

Atona shrugged. "I missed her too I guess. Like at one point I didn't have time to miss anything or anyone with my uncle, it was just this terribly horrific process of 'coming to the light' and 'humbling myself' that I didn't really understand until it was finished." She admitted rising and running her hands over her jeans. "Uh…well I guess that's it then…I'm uh…going to go unpack my stuff."

Sakura rose too and nodded. "If you need any help you can always ask me," she offered, "I won't be doing much in my room anyways."

Atona nodded and this awkward silence enveloped them before she walked away and headed to her room. Sakura sat there in the couch before lying down and turning on the television. She hadn't watched television in a while and her spirits seemed to be high. He said it. She couldn't wrap her mind around it. He actually told her that he loved her. With his own mouth, on his own time and free will he actually told her that he loved her.

She felt a pang of guilt for wondering if it was just because she was housing his soul or because he really did. She supposed both were one and the same, inseparable and undefined in terms of emotions. But he said it, she heard it. She was known for deluding herself but this was real, he had said it…

_I love you. _It rang like a bell in her ears and she smiled, wide and full blown, her emerald eyes welling with tears that glossed over the world, highlighting it in some halo like never before.

"I love you too Sasuke Uchiha," She whispered feeling him in her bones like one felt the wind on their flesh. He was always with her, lulling around and she always with him. Fate, just what exactly are you doing?

_**There you go guys another chapter uploaded! Guys listen, I know you don't know me but I was having one of the worst weeks ever and your reviews…It was like a pocket of sunshine I can't thank you enough for them. They really meant a whole lot to me and I'm glad you guys are still here and still reading. FORTY ONE CHAPTERS! It's crazy I know! **_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	42. Chapter 42

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! Don't be afraid to leave a review, it really gives me a pep in my writing step!**_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Two]**

Sakura sat down across from Rin the following Saturday, her hair caught up in a messy bun and her pajama's on around the dinner table. Rin sat across from her and held her hand. She smiled softly. There was something so motherly about her face, about the way her eyes seemed to radiate rather than just glow, the way her skin was always flushed and her face always so inviting.

Rin looked somewhat like her mother if Sakura tilted her head just right. A part of her ached at the thought of her mother as it usually did but she ignored it.

"I think," Rin said delicately, "that perhaps, if you were up to it in the winter break, you should stop by." She said carefully gauging Sakura's reaction.

Sakura took a deep breath. "I should?" she stuttered.

Rin nodded. "I've been there twice and I'm not saying I have a degree in People or anything and I am not saying you should go there and _stay. _You live here and if you're not spending your nights in this house, the only other home allowed is Ino's. I'm just saying that we've been talking,"

"Yes, I know that," Sakura said, "I just didn't think…"

"Right, what happened?" Rin asked rhetorically. She leaned back with a sigh. "He's not in the best of shape. According to him he just came out of rehab about a month ago and I checked it out, went to the center and everything. His apartment isn't the best thing either, his company isn't putting much trust in him these last days and paycheck cuts but, he seems…stable enough in terms of recovery."

Sakura nodded, her heart thudding in her chest louder than she ever thought was possible. This was really happening. She knew Rin went to visit her father but up until now, it seemed like but a distant dream. She could hear Ino scoff at this entire conversation. She could hear Ino's disapproval about the entire ordeal. Sakura could hear it and somewhere she felt guilty but in other parts, she felt thrilled and relieved. She hadn't been telling Ino things lately and she felt guilty about it –she should- and she knew she was being a bad friend since Ino told her everything –literally _everything _and here she was keeping secrets that didn't need to be kept.

After the last time she brought it up to Ino and what happened, she didn't want to tell her anything else that happened. She knew it wasn't fair and she knew that even if Ino said something she didn't like. Ino was a good friend because she didn't lie to her or say something simply because it's what she wanted to hear. She just… she didn't know what she was lately and guilt was eating her up and the more she sat here, this feeling of Falling Short washed over her. She was doing this for her though, nobody else would understand why. Nobody else would get what this meant. Maybe Rin who was making such effort to help her. Maybe Rin understood but her friends wouldn't.

"What did you guys do when you were there?" Sakura asked curiously.

Rin leaned back and sighed. "Well for most of the time we talked about all sorts of things. For him, you were a delicate topic but I went there for a reason, you know? We did talk about you quite often and quite differently."

"How does he feel about me?" Sakura asked.

"How do you think he feels about you?" Rin asked kindly. Sakura looked down, knotting her fingers together. "See Sakura I'm not trying to put you on the spot but you can talk to me. I made your dad talk to me, which was difficult yes but I did it. I think being middle ground requires information from both parties."

Sakura sighed and slumped visibly. How did she think he felt about her? They weren't positive things, never have been at least not since things went rocky and downhill. She didn't blame him she should have kept her mouth shut about the whole thing but still, his feelings towards her were raw.

"I don't think he likes me. He hasn't for a long while and I don't think he'd particularly want to see me. He was glad to get rid of me the first chance he got." she began. "I mean I can understand why he wouldn't like me but that kind of hate inside people just doesn't go away like that, so quickly and so easily. It was intense Aunt Rin so I'm guessing even now somewhere inside he still feels the same way,"

She shrugged and her response shocked Sakura. "You're right maybe he still does." she said calmly. "I never said he didn't feel that way and I can't tell you that he doesn't because I don't know,"

"But then why would you say tha-"

"What I do know Sakura is that he is not a drunkard and he is not ill. He thinks and talks competently and even if he still hates you, you would without a doubt be able to sit down with him and have an actual conversation. You can talk to him one adult to another."

"Would he want to see me? I wouldn't want to go unannounced or-"

The doorbell rang and Rin leaned over her chair to look around at the front door. She pushed her chair back and cleared her throat. "Ino?" she asked already on her way to the front door.

Sakura glanced at the clock. "She's early," Sakura said in surprise.

Ino wasn't usually early for things that weren't school. She was known to be an overdramatic diva about things like time. The later she was the better she felt about herself and her self importance.

"Hi aunt Rin!" Sakura heard Ino chirp as she made her way to where Sakura was. "Sakura, not even a phone call." Ino said not jumping right into it. "Can you believe that?"

"You're early," Sakura muttered, paranoia touching her as she wondered if my some miracle Ino overheard their conversation.

"I know, shocking isn't it?" she laughed. "Like I said, not even a damn phone call. I was thinking about it today and I got so riled up I just had to come over to dump my feelings on you." she smiled, pulling off her scarf and gloves. She glanced at Rin and then at Sakura. "I'm sorry was I interrupting anything?"

Rin waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing we can't continue another time. You girls do whatever it is you girls do. It's almost nine; I should get ready to go in for work. When you girls are leaving lock up."

"And Atona?" Sakura asked before she could help herself.

Rin rolled her eyes. "At her uncle for reasons I don't understand. It seems like the place has grown on her, she'll be back later." She said her voice fading as she left the dining room.

Ino grabbed Sakura' hand and dragged her out of the chair. "Yeah so like I was saying not even a phone call, are you not worried?" Ino demanded as they headed upstairs.

"Worried would be the understatement of the century," Sakura responded, her hand trembling in Ino's at the thought of Sasuke.

Winter was on, coming out of nowhere, freezing Kanoha over and she hadn't heard a whisper from her boyfriend in a week. She didn't know what they were doing and she didn't know how long they would be gone and she felt as if she would go crazy without knowing for sure that he was fine. Ino was right, not even a phone call. No one had heard anything about them and she didn't know how to contact Krystal or anyone else who might know anything about them.

And just how would she continue hanging out with Ino so often with all this guilt riding her every time they were around each other? How would she get to her father's without even lying? For let's face it, even with how uncertain the situation still was, she already knew that she was going to go. She had to go, just to make sure that she went all the way with this. She wanted to open her mouth and come clean, she felt so dirty but she didn't want to at the same time. She was being a terrible friend to In-

Ino sputtered to a halt in front of Sakura's room door. She turned and looked at Sakura suspiciously, "what aren't you telling me?" she demanded.

"What?" Sakura almost squeaked.

"Guilt, it's radiating off you I can feel it –you know emphatic powers and all- so don't even try it on me. What don't I know that I should know on the grounds that I am your ride or die best friend?" she accused.

"Nothing."

Ino pushed Sakura's door open and walked in. "One, you're a terrible liar and two, even if you weren't, the guilt has only been increasing over the past weeks. I don't hassle you, I know you don't like hassle but I'm starting to feel some type of way about this." she said honestly, lying down on the bed. "And seeing that no one is an empath for me, I'm all about voicing these feelings I have not been admitting, for I think it makes me a bad friend if I don't."

Sakura forced a laugh. "Are we going to have a heart to heart moment?"

"No," Ino replied sharply sitting up, "and don't act like that because I'm not stupid. You think I'm one of those people who just met you?"

Sakura did a double take. "What? No, Ino of course I don't."

"See it's funny you should say that to me because you treat me like we've never known each other until this time and I'm not trying to sound jealous, I am simply making a statement. I don't mean recently either, I mean since we got here months ago. I've been trying to be understanding about it. You treat those you've just met (I won't use Sasuke for he's a special case here so let's go with Naruto) as if you have known him since the day you came out of your mother's womb so you talk to him and them and tell them everything yet here I am, wondering what is it that I am doing just so wrong that you don't trust me anymore, even with the little things." She said seriously.

Her voice wasn't vindictive, it wasn't mean and it wasn't sharp. Ino's voice was flat and void. It held absolutely no emotion inside of it which was something Sakura had never experienced being directed to her in all her life of knowing Ino and she had known Ino all her life.

"Ino I-" she didn't know what to say and Ino laughed.

"Right. You don't know what to say which is perfectly fine; you don't have to say anything because I can feel your emotions which actually speak for you. It's almost nine and we have to be at the hospital by ten," She said curtly pushing herself off Sakura's bed and heading to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Downstairs," she responded opening the door.

"Ino don't do this. I'm so sorry," Sakura said in a rush, "I'll tell you-"

"No, no," Ino said shaking her head, "I don't force people to trust me Sakura and therefore, I no longer want to hear. You can keep your happenings to yourself, like you want to. Start getting ready or else we'll be late and Tsunade will make a big fuss about it." she said walking out and closing the door almost silently behind her.

Sakura stood there staring at the door as if someone had just thrown a bomb into her chest. It twisted and coiled into itself and her eyes watered as she looked at the door that Ino just willing walked through. She blinked, the ache carving itself into her chest.

"GET READY!" Ino barked from downstairs her voice the same as Sakura remembered it before, just like Ino. "I DON'T HEAR YOUR SMALL BODY MOVING!"

She wanted to smile. When Ino talked like that it usually did make her smile but she couldn't even get her lips to move. Ino wasn't wrong. She was talking the truth. She was talking to everyone except her and keeping things from her, weeks even months at a time and she was telling Naruto everything…she was pushing Ino away since she got here. That was something she could not deny and Ino still hadn't left her side. Ino was still here but it occurred to her just then how badly she was hurting Ino. She played the victim so often she didn't even take a moment to think about how Ino felt.

She pushed herself to her bathroom where she took a shower, washing her hair under the hot water as tears fresh and new and different fell from her eyes. She felt numb as she got dressed; her long sleeved shirt washed too many times to not look old. She slipped into the hoodie that she had and pulled on her sneakers. She didn't have gloves or scarves even though it was winter and she was afraid to bring it up to Sasuke or even Rin. She didn't like feeling like charity all the time and she had given away the clothes Sasuke had bought her previously. It hadn't felt right having them.

She made her way downstairs where saw Ino and Rin talking while the television was on. Ino turned to look at her. "Ready?"

"Um…yeah," she said guilty.

Ino nodded and they rose from the couch. "Tell Tsunade I say hello Sakura," Rin said, "she's next on my list of people I need to meet in person," she said closing the front the door as they all came out of the house.

Sakura smiled. "I'll make sure to let her know,"

Ino got into her car and waved at Rin. "Have a good day work," she said cheerily and Rin laughed.

"We'll see how it goes," Rin said lightly, "You girls be safe."

Ino leaned over and opened the passenger seat. "Well get in already, we've got an appointment at the hospital to get you to,"

Sakura slid into the car and for the first time in history, they drove to and from the hospital in complete and utter silence except for the hum of Ino's car engine.

_**Well there you have it guys! Hope you enjoyed and I can't wait to see yall soon! HAPPY SUMMER! I HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING AN AWESOME TIME! MAKE MEMORIES AND TAKE PICTURES! LIVE! **_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	43. Chapter 43

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! Don't be afraid to leave a review, it really gives helps! You guys complained about the chapters being too short so I just put two chapters in one to make the read longer. Don't worry the long chapters are coming. Trust me. **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Three]**

"Time!" Neji barked, his voice resonating throughout the large forest, bouncing across its hollowness.

Sasuke took a deep breath, wiped his forehead and turned. Hinata leaned against a gargantuan tree, sweat pelting down her pale skin, her breaths sharp and shallow. She bent at the waist trying to catch her breath. Naruto stepped forward but Sasuke grabbed his arm.

Naruto looked at him and Sasuke shook his head. "No," he said, his voice firm.

He couldn't keep watching Naruto do this over and over again. He told himself that he wouldn't control him but he had to step in now. He couldn't watch this happen again, he couldn't watch his actual best friend ride himself to ruin while he was standing right there.

"What?" he rasped.

"I will not let you do this to yourself." He said stiffly. "Leave her be," he warned.

Naruto casted his red animalistic eyes downward before glancing back at them. Neji was standing before Hinata, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. She staggered for a moment and his hand wound around her waist as he guided her to a large root bursting from the ground where she sat down. They were awkward; highly uncomfortable with the idea of touching one another. It wasn't sexual, he would have helped her before since they were family but the unrelenting tension between them was undeniable. This wasn't easy for them just as it wasn't easy for Naruto.

"Is that an order?" Naruto demanded his body stiff.

Sasuke released Naruto's arm, "Don't do this Naruto. Listen to me for once."

Naruto laughed tightly and placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "You're taking this harder than I am," he chided. Sasuke shot him a glare and he deflated.

Ocean blue eyes clashed with midnight black ones, brightly and vividly falling and tumbling into each other, searching and sieving. Sasuke could see so clearly Naruto's own brokenness that his own eyes softened before he could stop it.

"Naruto," he said his voice soft almost aching. It hurt him to watch this happen to him.

"Yeah, fine, you're right." He said looking away blinking rapidly and shaking his head, "yeah, you're right." he muttered.

They stood there within the silence before Sasuke looked over to them. Unfortunately they couldn't stay segregated when the barriers weren't being put up. He glanced at Naruto and he rolled his eyes and held his hands up in surrender. Sasuke sighed warily and gestured towards the others before he started moving. Shikamaru leaned against the back of the tree with Neji as Hinata drank some water.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered, "I don't mean to slow everyone down,"

"It's absolutely fine; we've been on the move for days." Sasuke said fairly. "I'm surprised you held out this long,"

She looked up at him and her lips twitched in a smile. She coughed loudly and shook her head. "Would you like me to check on her?" she asked kindly. "Now is as good a time as ever,"

"You're resting," Shikamaru stated.

"I agree," responded Gaara, "that's not a wise idea,"

"You haven't heard anything from her in days, I'm sure you would like to know. It doesn't take that much energy,"

"No," Sasuke said simply jamming the spear he held in his hand into the moist earth.

One would think that it couldn't possibly take such a long time to barricade a God that's been asleep for millions of years. It was taking Sasuke longer than he thought it would and it was harder than he ever thought it would be. He'd never thought they would all have to be in their raw forms just to make one barrier and lock it into place.

Naruto alone had to go to five tails to get the job done and protect Hinata. It had been a week and only the first two barriers had been put in place. They were moving outwards but the waves of energy coming fromRugonshi were unimaginable. If their minds weren't sharp and their will strong, he didn't know what would happen to them. Sasuke knew how dangerous this was and the longer they stayed in one place the more danger they were in with this power that swallowed the entire Agape Forest.

Especially Hinata and they knew that. With this much exposure to so much energy, without a doubt she was going to be one of the females to turn. It was just a matter of when and where it would happen to her.

He leaned against the spear. "Have you seen anything yet?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not yet…I thought I would have…two barriers are already up but I haven't." she pushed herself to her feet. "I don't want to keep us back. It's not safe to stay one place,"

"Take a few more minutes," Shikamaru said yawning, "Once we start again, we don't want to you passing out," he said.

She shook her head. "It's too dangerous. I'll be fine," she insisted.

Sasuke cracked his neck, pulled the spear from the ground and titled his head forward. "Let's go then,"

They began moving with Sasuke and Naruto in the front. This was supposed to be the furthest things from his mind right now, Naruto wasn't a fool and he wasn't pathetic but their friendship had depth. Their friendship was tangible and strong like a wall made of sial. He knew what Naruto was going through and it bothered him.

They walked in silence for hours, hiking through the forest until night fell before they separated with Hinata lagging with him this time. Sasuke stood in front of a tall, large and old willow tree which was the first of five points for the third barrier. He sat down on the floor.

"Where are they?" he asked warily.

"Almost there," Hinata said, her eyes close focusing.

"Do you love him?" Sasuke asked coldly.

"What?" she asked stunned, her eyes shooting open to look at him.

Sasuke looked at her expectantly. He had to gear up soon to ram a spear into the ground that took around three hours to do. He didn't have time to fool around or go around any bushes. She fidgeted and looked down. She knew he was talking about Naruto.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered.

"I take that as a no," Sasuke said then looking at the trees that towered to the sky, their branches and leaves intertwining, blocking the stars and the moon. They were trapped within the forest on its floors, the trees like sky scrapers above them.

"I never said I didn't!" she objected quickly.

"Never said you did either," he countered.

Hinata wasn't someone spectacular and he was keeping his feelings out of this. Call it whatever one would want to but once someone bruised even slightly the hearts of his Knights, they were no longer in his good graces. Hinata was not in his good grace, he did not like her anymore, not that he necessarily had before.

It was not because she had no control over this and it was not that he was blaming her for what happened. She didn't want this to happen just as much as anyone else did. However, Sasuke knew that Hinata did not tell Naruto separately as she should have. Naruto found out the verdict and everything with the rest of them, at the table, segregated from her. Loving him or not, it was her duty to tell him. _Her _obligation to tell _him _and she didn't.

"They're ready," she said.

Sasuke pushed himself to his feet, dropped his duffle bag to the floor and held the spear. He flexed his shoulders, closed his eyes and prepared himself. He opened his eyes, the Mangekyō Sharingan coming to life in its redness. He cracked his neck again and flexed his back as the curse mark made its way across his flesh, his kavazwalian form coming to light. **(a/n remember that he has both. I lead sight to this in chapter_ when he said he had wings. Yes.) **His skin began to darken, the flesh wings erupting from his back in their heaviness, his hair growing with that color he still couldn't become fond of.

"Step back, I can't guarantee I'll go through all the unnecessary trouble to save you if you get caught in the White Light,"

The chanting began as he started forcing the spear into the earth in unison with the others. The band of white circled, connecting all the spears together, vibrating the earth and making the trees tremble. The band of white light grew larger, the pitch so high Sasuke could feel his ears bleeding as the spear inched closer and closer into the soil. The Earth roared beneath him, the branches around him falling, the roots beneath the earth coming up.

He heard her scream and hissed. Everything inside of him wanted to tell her to run, this one was going to be harder but he couldn't break the chant. He glanced at her, kneeling down holding her head and he knew she was having a vision. He swore mentally. Of all times for this to be happening.

With a motion of his head her body skidded across the wet ground towards him, pulling her body into him, his wings folding like a cocoon around her. This didn't make him comfortable having Hinata pressed against his chest in this manner. The willow tree screamed and wailed, waning and craning before it toppled over, cracking the ground open.

The spear inched again into the earth, the white light becoming blinding, disintegrating everything around it. Then the first wave of power hit. It was shocking and almost like a pulse. The God always gave them a fight when the barriers went up. You would think that the first barrier would have been the hardest.

Hinata's nails sank into his bare chest, piercing his skin and he held her closer, the white light burning his own flesh like acid. He gritted his teeth and kept going. The earth shifted beneath him and the spear inched a little deeper. Three hours of this. He had three hours of this before the barrier was fully formed. The only thing he could think of was how he would give everything up in this moment just to see Sakura again.

~O~

"Legeem Kapasula Sasuke, a message from the Pentitantum," the small girl whispered on one knee before him her head down.

Her golden hair was done in large tight curls that fell over her body, her face small and round with coveted red eyes. Her white dress was frilled, her body small and delicate. Sasuke disliked her already. He hated anything that came from the head of the Pentitantum, like his father and the Fathers of his Knights. His mother was on the board but a woman could never –not today or ever- have the amount of power that a man does in his world. Which struck him as odd since his Deity was a woman.

Sasuke looked down on her his eyes cold. "What a pleasure to be in your good graces Pentitantum." he said dryly. "What is it?" he asked.

The small girl stood and smiled, her voice coming out like thunder, deep and rich. "_Investigative trials begin on the third Wednesday in the month of January. You and your Knights Legeem Kapasula must be present for the proceedings. Your report is late Legeem. We are expecting it soon_." The girl bowed her head again, "End of message,"

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you," he said as exhausted as he was.

The small girl nodded, whirled around and vanished. He had just come back from the forest and he was drained dry. His body was bruised, rigid and his muscles tense. His eyes burned from all the bleeding they went under putting up the last barrier. His skin was so dry it was tearing itself open, the flesh around his fingers rubbed down clean. He looked like shit as well as everyone around him. The only one around him that looked alright was Hinata and even then she wasn't at her best either.

He knew he was pushing them. He was pushing himself too but he had no choice. One problem solved and another one came up. Just like everyone else he wanted to rest. He wanted to see his girlfriend who'd been without him for two entire weeks. Sakura was at school and even though he wanted to see her yet he was located in his room with everyone else. She hasn't even heard a whiff from him. He wanted to coil up himself within her warm delicate body and fall asleep to the sound of her beating heart. He wanted to see her more than anything else on his plate right now but he had to prioritize.

"I chose to wait until we were finished before I decided to have us talk about this. I know we're all tired and we don't want to do this, but we have things to do and as you've just heard, the Pentitantum is still on our asses." He said far more aggressively than he intended

"We just don't get a break do we?" Naruto asked warily. "I don't have what it takes, I'm burnt the fuck out right now yet here we are." He growled.

Gaara sighed and ran his hands over his face. "Let us really just get on with this. What did you see?" he said turning his gaze to Hinata.

"What?!" Hinata shouted, leaning closer.

Gaara twitched. "She's still having hearing problems? God." He muttered. "What. Did. You. See!?" he shouted.

Hinata fidgeted sinking into her seat. "I didn't see anything," she said, her voice unintentionally loud something nobody knew she was capable of, "it's not what I saw this time, it was just a white pallet. It's what I heard."

"Then what exactly did you hear?"

"I heard Rugonshi when the barrier was going up, I don't know why and I don't know how. It's the first time that's ever happened; it was louder than the White Light." She coughed, cupping her ears that had been trickling blood. "He said that she's here," she exclaimed.

"Who?"

"I'm thinking he could only be referring to one person." Sasuke said flatly. "And we know who that is." He plopped himself into his chair. "Any ideas?"

"Home. Food. Bed. Rest." Gaara said throatily. "Since we're looking at realistic things here, how do we find a God? It's not as if we had intended to find this one to begin with. How do we even begin to find our Goddess? Nobody else has been able to and she's been here the whole fucking time."

"I could have another vision!" Hinata shouted.

Sasuke pursed his lips. Her shouting was understandable, she probably wasn't realizing she was doing it and it wasn't her fault. However, every time she shouted he got this unrelenting urge to punch her in her throat and tell her to shut the fuck up. He wouldn't do that though. The consequences weren't worth it, not when he was like this.

"You don't control them," Neji said, "You can't just have them like that and there's no guarantee that you'll have another White Light Vision."

"Sakura can help her," Shikamaru said, "I think you all keep forgetting her,"

"Yes, there is her," Gaara agreed, "Hinata had her first vision because of her no? It must be horrific having visions," he muttered.

"I don't know how but she's tied to this, we can't keep forgetting she's apart of this, whether she's at the meetings or not. The longer Sakura sits around Hinata, the likelier it is for Hinata to have a vision or a prophecy or anything at all. I mean Sasuke…. Everyone thought she was gone but she's here….._She's here_…"

"Which is simply incredible." Neji responded which was what everyone was thinking.

She was here. Their Goddess was here. She had always _been _here and no one even knew. She could have been in torment, suffering like never before on her own creation, absent to her own people. She was here all this time and no one has tried to find her, tried to get her back to where she should be. No one knew until now. No one was trying until now.

It was possible that they would meet Asanephpa. The Mother to them all- every single one of them. This was not her fault. She was reaching out to them and Sasuke spent time wondering just how long she'd been reaching out to her children. How long she'd been roaming, trying to find some way and some means to get them to listen to her…to save her. He was the one doing it. His Knights were the ones doing it. They were doing something great. They were saving their Creator. There was nothing more profound than that.

Naruto groaned boisterously. "Sasuke, come on," he whined.

Sasuke sighed. "Fine. I know you're all tired, I'll deal with this. Get on out of here and go before I explode."

"Sasuke, you need to rest," Neji said calmly, "we all know you're exhausted more than the rest of us,"

"I'll be fine, someone has to do a report and I've got so much shit to deal with. Leader and all," he said grimly. They could rest, he had to look out for them, that was his job and they couldn't keep going. They were burnt out but he had to.

"But-" Naruto objected pushing his chair back and rising, "you can't do that Teme,"

"Go." Sasuke hissed. "Go already."

"But Sasuke-"

Sasuke shrugged. "Go." He ordered. "And for fucks sake, someone _please _get my girlfriend over here. Now!" he shouted, his voice thundering across the room. He was on edge. He could not handle back and fourths.

Everyone nodded silently. When he spoke, he was heard and they had to listen to him. They shuffled out of the room and Sasuke flicked his fingers, banging the door shut and bolting it.

He pulled open a cabinet in the room that was made up of one long meeting table, a floor to ceiling class case filled with old books and a small shelf going around half the room with cabinets under them. The cabinets were sealed and could be opened by him.

He pulled out one ripping out papers, pins and maps. He had a report to write yes but at the moment, he had something to do and he had to do it fast. His conversation with Kurenai wasn't just for kicks. He pinned a tack into the map where Rugonshi was located. The map was blessed –or cursed- depending on how one looked at things. He watched as five rings formed around the tack he pinned into the map and it pulsed, like a shock wave.

He grabbed another map which was one of the major parts of Kamalpa. On Earth they call it continents which were what they looked like. They were rugged, crossfire complicated shapes, tetrahedral, quadrants, squares and other shapes. He planked it on top of the first map, the tack neatly piercing the map. He turned the map until it fit the right way on the one underneath it. The paper shuddered and Sasuke turned his head. He stared at it, making a mental note of exactly where the God was located if he was in Kamalpa.

Sasuke drew a line from memory of the map beneath, a straight line from the agape forest to the smack of Kanoha. He drew another line from Kanoha to where Kurenai was located and paused, tacking at each point. Soon Sasuke had a circle and an image. He pierced a tack in the middle and both maps withered at the edges. Who knew finding Orochimaru –a man who did not desire to be found- would be so vague and complicated? He grunted. A knock sounded, shaky and he paused. She was here.

With a flick of his finger everything went where it was supposed to be and he she was enveloped in his arms so tightly he feared he would crush her.

She pressed her body into his, her face buried in his chest even though he was a complete and utter mess. Her skin was warm, her body soft and comfortable. His head rested on top of hers, the smell of her hair and skin heavenly, the quick beating of her heart and rushing of her blood soothing. The scent of her soul and insides of her body flooded through him so fast he shivered a little.

"Hi," she rasped, face deep in his chest, her arms wrapped around him tightly.

"Hi," he whispered, his voice softer than he thought possible with how stressed he was.

The sound of her voice was like a slice of heaven so good and so sweet his mouth gushed venom. There was too much space between them, too much clothes and obstacles but he knew he couldn't just strip her naked. He never knew a person could feel like home the way Sakura did. Just to feel her made him feel like he landed back into his body, into his own, into his zone and where he was most comfortable.

He held her face, kissing her forehead, her closed eyes and her cheeks. She held on top his arms, holding his hands where they were as he kissed her nose before pressing his mouth to her lips. Lips that made his inner self and self in a parallel universe shudder and tremble and waver. He snaked his hand around her waist, netting his hand across her back, tugging her body towards him.

Her hands touched his face, running down his neck to his chest in a movement so loving and so soft he felt his chest fill with an emotion he just too recently began to experience.

"Missed me?" he asked, his voice like a gust of wind.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, eyes greener than emerald and any other gem he could have ever laid eyes on. So big, clean and round, full of such hope and life and purity he could drown staring into them.

She nodded her head vigorously. "I never knew I'd be this grateful to see pink in my whole life," he said kissing her again.

She wiped her tears and smiled. "Hi,"

He smirked. "You said that already,"

"I know," she said sighing, her smile covering her entire face, her skin glowing with redness, the blood rushing through her body.

God he'd never know home could be in a person. Home was where the heart was, or something like that and he was starting to get that. She stepped back though, taking him in fully for the first time. Her hands ran down the length of his scarred arms, down his neck with her brows creasing to such an extent she looked wounded.

"You're hurt," she whispered, her emerald eyes so soft and caring it had him in awe.

She didn't have to tell him how she felt for him to know, she didn't have to demonstrate what he meant to her or go out of her way to prove anything. She showed everything, full frontal. The way she touched him, the way she talked to him, the way she laughed with him, the way she looked at him, the way she smiled at him…everything.

"No, I'm fine, I'll heal." he said, his voice raspy and ashy.

They stood there, in front of each other but not touching each other, hands at their side just staring. He could feel the glossiness of his own eyes, he could feel the brim of a smile playing on his lips, the gratefulness to have her dipped and rubbed into his features.

"I'm alright," he said again, missing the feel of her pressed against him already.

She grabbed his hand, her fingers soft and warm against his exposed skin. she observed his hand before looking up at him with wounded eyes, "no you're not, you can't stay like this," she tangled her hands in his fairly callous ones, so unlike what he knew she was used to and she stepped closer to him, "you must be exhausted," she whispered.

"I'm a little tired yes," he agreed reluctantly.

Weakness wasn't something he ever wanted to show her, not today, not ever but it was hard for her not to see through him. He could through the grit of his teeth, she'd know better.

She smiled cutely. "A little? No," her delicate fingers touched his face, her thumb running under his eyes, "you're exhausted. Is there anything I can do? Call Krystal for you maybe?"

"Right on time!"

Sakura and Sasuke whipped around quickly to see Krystal standing near the kitchen, a multicolored turban wrapped around her head decked in a loose fitting blouse and ankle skirt, her feet bare. She grinned, her face coming out and into it beautifully, teeth white like pearls. Sasuke looked at her, for a moment he couldn't recognize her.

"Your fellow Knights told me you could use some help," she said walking over to embrace him, "you look like hell boy," she said sternly.

"That's what I like to hear," he muttered, "I'm fine Krystal; my body will heal itself,"

"Or you could get a serious infection with your skin cracking open like it's doing, then heal over it and die from the inside. That'll give me more work than I'm willing to do," she said pulling a bottle from her blouse and handing it over, "a gift."

"What do I do with this?"

"You?" she laughed. "You don't do anything. You go shower, lie down and let your pretty little girlfriend here rub you down nice and good with this stuff. You'll be way better by morning."

"R-rub him down?" Sakura asked, eyes bulging looking from Sasuke to Krystal uncertainly.

"Hence it being a gift. It promotes relationship bonding," she smirked, "to be fair I'd do it myself but unfortunately the annual banquet is looming near and I've got big issues to deal with. So, it seems only logical to have your girlfriend do it, you guys can get close."

"How often should I do this?" Sakura asked then.

Sasuke looked at her stricken. "What? No," he said quickly, "you are not doing that,"

"You'd do it for her," Krystal countered smiling, "what Sasuke? Afraid of some physical contact with your _girlfriend? _Stop being such a pansy," she chastised slapping him on the arm. "Well today is Friday," she creased her brows counting on her fingers, "once tonight, twice tomorrow and twice on Sunday. By then he should be fully healed inside and out and no scars,"

Sakura took the bottle from Krystal nodding. "I can do that,"

"See Sasuke, she can do that." she said winking. "I must be off but get well love and I must say, your brother is on a rollercoaster so when you're better, it wouldn't hurt to stop by and check in. he's becoming a handful,"

And then just like that she was gone; gone as if she had never been there in the first place. Sasuke turned and snatched the bottle from her small hands.

"No," he said.

She smiled, her heart hammering in her chest. "Why not?"

"Excuse me?"

She giggled. "You always take care of me; let me take care of you for once. You're exhausted, I can do it," she insisted, "let me help, please."

"Sakura-"

She grabbed his hand. "You haven't seen yourself, you're a mess Sasuke, and you've been gone for two weeks. Stop," she pleaded, her voice soft, "Just stop," she eased the bottle from his hand. "Let me take care of you,"

He pulled her into his body. This girl. Damn. Just…this girl. He kissed her temple. "You're right," he sighed, "I'm a wreck,"

She rubbed his back. "I know,"

_**And there you guys have it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Another is underway just give me time. I want to give a big thank you to all those who have followed me, favorite me and reviewed this story. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME you have no idea. I cannot thank you guys enough! **_

_**Love from the bottom of my heart,**_

_**D.V**_


	44. Chapter 44

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! I know these chapters are coming on an almost regular basis aren't they?! I really want to finish writing this story before summer is over. I might not finish uploading by the end of summer but hopefully I'll be finished writing because I am a couple chapters a head just to make sure things keep going. So fingers crossed guys! Read and enjoy! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Four]**

"Sasuke." Sakura said her voice louder than normal she was trying to put authority in it.

Sasuke turned away from her, burying his head in his pillow, his body tangled and mangled in his bed sheets. Sakura sighed. His skin was ashen and had barely healed even though he convinced her that it would. She hadn't gotten the chance to put this liquid Krystal gave them on his skin last night for after he showered he was a complete mess they went to bed together.

However, she was not going to go soft on him. "Sasuke," she said again, her arms folded across her chest.

"No," he groaned, pulling the sheet over his body.

She laughed. She'd never seen him tired like this before and she couldn't lie, it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen in all her life. She walked over to the bed and dragged the sheet off.

"Sasuke, we are not going to argue about this," she said finally, "now take your shirt off,"

He eyes fluttered open like slow motion fillets, his morning face and voice like the break of dusk with twilight surrounding the universe. He smirked lazily.

"If you wanted me naked, all you had to do was say so."

She scrunched up her face. "Very funny." She grabbed the bottle from the nightstand and his expression changed to a shade darker.

"No." he said his voice barely waking up, husky and deep like a rumble within the earth. She could wake up to that every morning for the rest of her life.

She straightened and took a deep breath. He always commanded her and got this tone when she was being stubborn. It was hard but she could do it too. She just had to keep her mind on what needed to be done and not just what he wanted. She'd already called Tsuande and she got permission to stay 'home' today, even from her regular meeting with her shrink. She slightly felt bad because she wouldn't see Clare today like she usually did- her cancer had admitted her to the hospital and she'd been there for the past three weeks.

She was not going to fail. She coughed, hardening her voice and her face. "You can't tell me that." she said, raising her voice. To her own ears it sounded as if she was shouting but she knew she wasn't. "We're doing this."

He turned away from her groaning. "Are we?"

"Yes," she responded, "Now take your shirt off and let's get started. You're not healing and your skin is getting worse. Sasuke, there are blood spots on the sheets. You _cannot _stay like this,"

"What is this tone you're getting with me?" he teased slyly.

"Off. Now." she commanded.

He turned to face her, his lips twitching. "I like when you get like this Sakura. I have to say it's a little bit too sexy."

Her skin heated but she didn't look away from him or entertain him. "I'm waiting,"

"Sakura, I don't think you understand what touching me like that will lead to, exhausted or not." He warned.

She didn't bat an eyelash although she knew the racing of her heart betrayed her. "Off." She repeated, her voice wavering only slightly.

He sighed heavily and pushed himself up into a sitting position. He gripped his white V-neck shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing skin tearing and ripping, tender and red, scars raw and fresh. She cringed just a little bit. It pained her to see him like this. He was beat up but not just on the outside, she could feel it inside of her, he was being destroyed from the inside out.

He looked at her, eyes smooth and glossy. He didn't smile and he looked so…human and pained. He rolled his eye and kicked the sheet off his large bed to the floor.

"I am not responsible for anything that happens when you touch me," he warned.

Being brave and courageous didn't mean she didn't have any fear. It just meant she was still willing to do it anyways. She didn't care how nervous she was or that she'd never done this before, she didn't care about what would happen or if it would be awkward. He needed someone to take care of him and she sure as hell was going to be that someone.

"Just lie down and let me take care of you," she said lightly sticking her tongue out.

She uncapped the bottle and climbed on the bed to sit on her knees next to him. The liquid was thick, viscous like and sweet. It smelt like honey and lime as she poured it into her palm. She started with his hands, delicately and softly. He hissed, turning his head away from her. She stopped.

"It stings?" she asked concerned.

"That's not the word I'd use but let's go with that,"

"Sorry," she said, kissing the back of his hand.

He stared at her and she smiled warmly at him. It felt nice to take care of him for a change. Her heart thudded as she looked away, rubbing the smooth warm viscous into his flesh, entangling her fingers into his before moving up his arm. The process was slow, the mixture thick and unwilling to move. She massaged it into his skin, being gentle when she reached the ghastly cracks in his flesh, pouring just a little bit more into them as her fingers ran over them.

Her hands netted over his chest, smooth and soft over his bruises. His eyes were closed and she watched his face, listening to his beautiful breathing, feeling the rise and fall of his tone chest. She felt herself tumbling down further in love with him; she could feel her heart contracting in a way that was too delicate and soft for her to comprehend. She scampered down the hole as she stared at him, falling so deep all she could see was darkness as the love among other things rose up inside her.

She'd never touched him like this. She'd never been brave enough and had never dreamed this would ever happen. Her fingers passed over his nipples, her cheeks turning so red they hurt. He turned his head away and she felt something snake up her leg. It was the same feeling she'd had when he bit her neck in the forest on their way to Kurenai. Touching him was making her…

"This is torture," Sasuke said as her hands ran down the length of his chest stopping just above his basket ball shorts. His whole body stiffened; rigid like ply board.

"N-no, this is fine, relax." She stuttered.

"I am relaxed, which is the problem." he hissed. "Could you not?"

"What?"

"Touch me like that?" he asked, opening his eyes to stare at her. "Do you think I can't feel what's going on here? What are you trying to do? Give me the hardest boner of my life or something?"

She smiled, looking down bashfully. "You're the one making this sexual,"

He gapped at her and she laughed. "Me?" he asked incredulously. "You are literally rubbing my body down, really, we've been over this. I've so much control and no more,"

"Calm down you're tensing up," she squeaked unable to hold his hooded gaze.

She was ashamed to admit these things, even though she knew by now they were normal. He was her first everything and she didn't really know how to deal with the feelings that were pelting her body now. The lust. She could feel it within her. She just kept telling herself that she was doing this to make him feel better, to help him because he was in pain. She wasn't doing this for a sexual reason even though she felt so… so lustful of him.

"I'm tensing up she says, good God," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes and climbed over him to his other side. She started again on his next hand this time humming a tune she was making up as she went along, his flesh hot against her palm, the ointment viscous and thick between them. The word _erotic _came to her mind. The feel of this on his skin, the heat it generated into her hands. For a split second she wondered what Sasuke was turning her into.

"I'm not turning you into anything. It's not my fault," he muttered, his head turned away from her.

She froze. "What?"

"Not my fault that you're making yourself horny and you're not comfortable with it." he explained.

"How did you-?"

"I think we've been over that too," he yawned, his voice muffled by the pillow that fluffed around his turned head. "You're not thinking about much and you don't have a wall around you which makes it so much easier to be in tuned to you,"

She fluttered. "Doesn't this bother you?"

"What?" he asked his voice wavering only slightly as her fingers reached his shoulder and left clavicle.

"I don't know… not like doing… I mean not having…you know what I mean… like….you know."

He chuckled and she felt the vibrations under her palm. "No, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah you do," she said, "you know…" she trailed off.

"Are you referring to sex or something?" he teased.

"…"

"Are you?"

"…"

Sasuke shot up instantly to stare at her. "You're talking about sex? You're _asking _me about _sex_? For God sake." he said flabbergasted. "Who are you right now?"

She laughed. "No no no no!" she said holding her hands up, "not like that!"

"You're asking me about sex? _Me? _Jesus, Sakura." he said seriously. "You're making me very uncomfortable all of a sudden."

She keeled over on the bed in a fit of giggles and embarrassment. "Not like that."

"I cannot do this if you're going to make everything so sexual and awkward at the same time. My body is confused," he reasoned.

She sat up on her knees. "I didn't mean it like that." she said, her cheeks hurting. "You said we could talk about anything,"

"Yeah…but sex…good grief Sakura," he muttered.

She pushed him back down on the bed. "You know what I mean!" she argued.

"Well," he began, "if you're asking me if it bothers me that my penis is not going into your vagina, then the answer is no, it doesn't bother me. Not particularly. I'm getting used to the celibate life you know?"

Sakura could have literally died but instead her laughter erupted from deep within her belly, so loud and so full her head started pounding, her head hanging down as she laughed. She looked at him and he was smirking at her but all too soon, they were both laughing. The best kind of laughter was the one she felt. It was the kind of laughter that bent you over, cramped your stomach, shortened your breath and made your eyes water. The best kind of laughter was the kind that flooded you completely like it did now. She smacked him his chest which was so hard and so toned.

"Don't make fun of me," she pouted.

He looked to ceiling, smirking and shook his head. "Why are you even asking me that?"

"Because…"

"Because?" he prompt.

"Turn over," she said avoiding eye contact.

He sighed and did as he was told. She sat there silently for a while staring at his elaborate tattooed back. It was awash in black and white, tribals with dark colors smashed and smacked around in it. The dark blues, purples and greens blended so well into his skin, skimming and twisting around the triabals. It was gorgeous, reminding her spring and things that flourish. It reminded her of Japan, long ago before they were westernized.

She climbed onto of him, straddling him between her legs.

"Oh Sakura, this has escalated quickly." he remarked.

She smacked him in his head as she sat at the base of his spine. "I need a good angle that's all,"

"I bet you do," he muttered dubiously.

She squirted some of the mixture in the bottle onto his back. After a couple seconds, after she'd rubbed it in, it seemed to sink into his flesh, smoothing it out. It wasn't sticky like she had thought it would be. She started rubbing it into his inflamed back, the skin tearing open, cracked and blazing red. The flesh was hot to the touch and tender. Her eyes softened.

She leaned down and kissed his muscled shoulders, lips light as a feather. "I'm sorry," she whispered against his skin.

"Dangerous waters Sakura," was all he said, his face buried into the pillow.

She sat up straighter and continued. "I asked because…it must bother you, what kind of person wouldn't it bother? Like you're used to that sort of thing and I feel like the way I am is hindering some kind of common necessary advancement in our relationship." she said in a rush. "Like it's something you want and I'm here denying you or something."

"I'm not with you for sex." He said simply, his voice serious. "I'm offended you would think that. I don't pressure you."

"But you must want-"

"To fuck you?" he asked. She did a double take from the sheer rawness. "Well to put it mildly yes, of course I want to. How could I not? You're the one I want, I don't want anyone else and I don't desire to have sex with anyone else. I've been alive for longer than you know. I have no problem waiting,"

Her hands squeezed his shoulders. "You-"

"So it's like, I'm fully aware of your hormones and the best possible times there are to try and have sex with you." he said cutting her off. "Like now, if I played my cards right. I also know though that mentally you're not prepared for the backlash and I'd never do that to you."

"What if I'm never ready?" she asked cautiously.

"Then we never have sex." He said simply. "That would be unfortunate yes, not going to lie. Quite unfortunate."

Sakura moved to the foot of the bed and started on his calves. This was more work than she thought it would be and she didn't want to admit how tired this was making her. She hadn't taken her morning meds yet even though she knew she should have. She just wanted to put him first.

His skin was smooth under hers. Her heart picked up. "And what if I am?" she stuttered.

"You're not." He replied.

"But what if I was?"

"How is it that you're brave enough all of a sudden to have this conversation with me?" he asked stunned.

"We can talk about anything…this has been on my mind for a while."

"You mean from we got hot and dirty in the forest?" he asked teasingly.

She flushed scarlet. This was so embarrassing she couldn't believe she was doing this. "Yes,"

"We've got nothing but time," he said easily, her hands running up his calves. "But I'm going to need you to calm down."

"What?"

"Calm down." He repeated. "I understand that you trust me, I understand that you know I won't hurt you. However you're so very open right now that the way you feel is literally becoming painful to ignore. So could you calm down the hormones? This is making me highly sensitive."

"I am calm," she lied.

"And if you were ready then we'd have sex. Don't make this awkward but you're not." He said his voice husky and soft, falling into the ease of her touch. "I'd have to make you ready. One step at a time."

His body froze then and he turned, rising so quickly Sakura hardly had time to back away. His face came so close to her, his eyes looking at her almost stunned. He smirked.

"No, that's not what you're asking me is it? That's not what you're trying to say is it?" He said almost excited. "Touché Sakura, you almost slipped that one passed me."

She looked away, "I don't know what you're talking about,"

He grabbed her chin between his fingers, dragging her gaze to his. His eyes were sly. "You want it to happen again but you're afraid. You want it to happen right now. You want me to do something about it you just don't know how to say it. I could actually laugh again twice in one day," he commented.

"Lay back down," she whispered bashful.

She'd thought she was doing a good job of not letting that part go. That was a truth she just didn't want to admit it. She didn't want to admit that she wanted something to happen, especially when this shouldn't be about her. This was selfish of her and she knew that all too well.

It took her a while to get over it and she didn't want to be like those other girls he knew. But he'd been gone for so long and she'd missed him so much, just being here didn't seem like enough. There was much distance and clothes and textures between them. There was this feeling in the pit of her stomach; she just wasn't brave enough to act on it.

During his absence she'd found herself thinking about that time in the forest. She didn't know where it came from and how she felt was unexplainable even now. She'd never felt anything like that and she hated to admit it but it felt absolutely _wonderful. _

Naruto had told her it was completely okay for her to feel this way that everyone felt this way for someone and she knew that was probably true. Ino felt that way for Shikamaru, they've already had sex. Tenten felt that way for Neji, they had sex once before too. Naruto said he felt that way for Hinata and that it was okay for her to feel that way for her boyfriend. Sasuke belonged to her and her to him; he'd said it would have been weird if she never felt this way. But why now? Why here?

"Funny you should say that," he said gripping her and pulling her closer to him on the bed. She tried to move back but he easily grabbed her, forcing her towards the head of the bed so he could corner her like a scared animal. He leaned forward, so close his breath mixed and mingled with hers. "Anything else?" he inquired.

"No." she squeaked. "You need to rest."

"I feel quite rested," he said his dark eyes glossing over in a way that seemed to trap her into a dream.

"Sasuke, no," she said again unable to look him in the face. He leaned even closer, his voice falling down so wonderfully it made her skin shiver.

"Then why is your heart racing? I'm not the hungry one this time around." He said vanishing from the bed. "To tell you how this is going to go, when you want it, you come and take it from me. One step at a time. First thing is first Sakura, you have to learn to come and get it." He winked walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

Her hand flew to her heart trying to calm herself down. Her hands were shaking and she couldn't stop it. What was she doing? This wasn't like her. What was she thinking? His body flashed through her mind, the smooth dip in his back, his taut shoulders and the muscles of his arm…the leanness of his body.

_For Christ's sake just get up and go! _ Her inner shouted duly irritated.

_He's damaged. And where have you been? _She repeated to herself. His skin wasn't the way it always was. It was bruised and inflamed and cracked in some places. How could she possibly find that attractive? She couldn't be attracted to him even at his worse like this; she had to think about him just not like that.

_First of all, these last days all you do is ignore me and want to talk about things I rather not and second of all, you love him, flaws and all. There won't ever be a moment where you're no attracted to him so get up and just go already, _she said simply.

_I'm not ready for sex…_

Her inner laughed. _Don't you trust him? He just told you you're not ready for that but you're ready for something aren't you? _

_Stop it. _

_Go! _

Her eyes became that electric pink and green as her body bolted upwards and out of the bed without her consent. It pushed against her and she staggered forward. Sakura got the message loud and clear. She made her way and stood in front of the door. She heard the bathroom tap and the door opened. He did a double take and his brows creased.

"How would we-"

He held his hand up. "Stop, right there. You're totally making this awkward for me. First of all you don't…yeah Sakura no." he said shaking his head with a smirk on his face brushing passed her. "This is not how we do things."

On impulse she grasped his arm and he froze. She couldn't make out his face only the taunt muscles of his shoulders and the line down his back. The tattoo's seemed to flex and move with his skin. She laced her fingers into his.

He sighed. "I'm a pleaser you know? My goal is to do whatever you want. I have to do everything myself," He muttered turning and reeling her body into his.

She collided into his chest, his arms wrapping around her. It knocked the breath out of her and she looked up at him. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever and a day. His eyes pulled her towards him like an external force, gripping the strings within in and she rose. His eyes were on fire, their darkness kindling something inside of her; devouring her in a way that was simply irresistible. How he did it, she had no idea.

She was gone. Lost and tumbling down into him. His hand netted over her lower back, pressing her lower body into his harshly and she gasped as the feeling rushed through her body, any thoughts draining from her head. She was trembling but it was in this exhilarated kind of way.

He kissed her desperately and she flooded, the feeling washing over her wave after wave making her light headed. She drowned in him, her hands grabbing onto him, forcing their lips closer together. He pressed against her, forcing her body to bend backward almost as if he was dipping her. His hand supported her on the small of her back, her body pressed hard against his.

The thirst shocked her as the fire slicked across her skin so much she couldn't control herself. Suddenly it was an out of body experience, her flesh moving on its own accord. Her body pressed against the wall quickly her hand wading around his torso to touch his back. She felt it flex beneath her palms. Her breathing was sharp and deep, consuming her. She'd never felt these kinds of sensations as they pelted her.

His hands itched at the hem of her blouse; his eyes open now staring at her. She died with how black and glossy they were. His voice was like sex to her ears, cascading down her neck in shivers.

"Yes?" He asked.

She nodded tugging his face to hers again. He pulled her blouse over her head and threw it aside. His skin was warm against hers, her heart beating like a drum in her ears. Her skin was on fire. Suddenly there was not enough. There was not enough mouth and skin between them. He hiked her up and her leg wrapped around him, pleasure puncturing her skin. She gasped, the feel of his tongue sliding down her neck making her shiver.

She felt them moving, going where she wasn't sure until she felt the softness of the bed below her. Everything was moving so fast she didn't have time to tell him no before he pulled his underpants that she had on from her body, rendering her down to her underwear and bra. He open her legs and slid his head between them near her crotch, each hand outstretched resting on her breast.

He smiled then and she could see the sharpness of this teeth. His eyes alone could send her to a place of pure euphoria. She was hypnotized. He chuckled, his breath hot against her inner thigh. She already had a scar there but she didn't have a time to let the insecurity wash over her for his teeth sank into her upper inner thigh. There was a pinch and then she was in heaven.

She felt places harden that she never really know could harden until it hurt. Places on her body moistened in a rush and she felt wet all over, goosebumps rising on her flesh with her hair standing on end. Her body yielded to him eagerly, ready to take everything in full stride. It felt so _good. _

Her hands tangled in his hair, her back arching as she gasped the sensation above anything else she'd ever felt. She moaned the sound strained and foreign to her very own ears. She tugged without much control of her body, the pleasure pulsating through her, his hand palming her breasts. Her breaths came in pants, her hips moving but he moved with her with such ease to it. His teeth sank deeper into her flesh and she cried out, her emerald eyes rolling over in her head.

She couldn't breathe. It felt so good she couldn't even breathe, her entire body trembling and shivering as the euphoria pelted her relentlessly.

"Sasuke," she breathed, unable to even recognize her voice or even the sound. It was pained and strained, coated with pleasure.

She felt the sweat dabbing her forehead as she jerked against her will. She could have been screaming his name, she could have been talking in a different language or she could have been doing something else entirely but she couldn't remember. Her moans rose octaves the closer she got to this summit. Her hands moved from his hair to each shoulder, her nails scraping against his skin. She felt his shoulders roll under her hands. The feeling of his muscles against her made her groan, the sound purely animalistic.

"I ca…..n't…" she sucked in a sharp breath.

Nothing, not even the forest had ever felt this amazing. Everything inside of her collided in this unbelievable way- the feelings clashing and fusing into one another. Her skin felt more like skin, her sense heightened as she literally felt the pleasure pump through her, each time making her back arch higher and her moans louder, her fingers digging unintentionally into his wounded flesh.

Then the feeling was gone and her body went limp. The weakness fell over her like a blanket, the room spinning around her. She opened her eyes to find him looking at her, blood running down the sides of his mouth. She'd never seen anybody look so deviously wonderful and lovely in all her life. God he was sexy. She watched him wipe the corners of his mouth and smirk. He titled his head to one side.

"Everything alright?" he inquired. She couldn't find her voice. He shook his head. "This is always a bad idea every time." he muttered leaning down to run his tongue up her thigh.

She twitched, the act sending tingles through her body. Her hand snaked around his neck, pulling him down to her as a little bit more blood splotched the sides of his lips. She kissed him, pushing her tongue deep into his mouth. She felt his entire body shiver. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth hotly.

She was breathing heavily. "Sasuke…"

He leaned down, his hand on either side of her head. His voice made her whimper. "The way you say my name…if I wasn't careful Sakura I'd break you."

_**And there you have it! I hope you guys loved this chapter, I mean I sure as hell did I don't know about you. I want to thank everyone for reading and I hope you didn't think it was a waste. The next chapter will be up before you know it! I hope everyone has a grand week! **_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	45. Chapter 45

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! Another update? So soon? YES! SO SOON and can you believe there is more? I must say your reviews I love them. I love them so much they keep me going.**_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Five]**

The snow had finally started, the winds picking up and the air more solid than before as it touched their skin. Sakura had forced herself to study for finals when Sasuke was gone but now that he was back it was hard for her to focus. It was hard for her to catch up on all the notes she'd missed too even though Ino tried to make sure she got most of them. Being sick and being in and out of the hospital amongst other things made school seemed less important that it actually was.

Ino didn't even say anything to Sakura when she entered the class room and took a seat at the front. She waved at everyone but she didn't say a word and she didn't come over like she usually did in the mornings for class. Sakura casted her eyes down and sighed. She knew what was wrong but it felt like things had gotten so bad between them that she couldn't fix it anymore. She knew Ino felt betrayed. They came here together yet Sakura was excluding her from everything now.

Sasuke shifted in his seat next to her Naruto's voice in front of her warm and husky. Naruto turned around and looked at Sakura for a while. She could feel his eyes on her.

"What's going with you and Ino?" Naruto asked.

Sakura shrugged. "Nothing,"

Sasuke snorted. "Keep that up and you'll be sorry when it actually becomes nothing." He said flatly.

Sakura tried not to flinch. She knew that was true. "Shika, has she said anything to you?" She asked hopefully.

Shikamaru groaned from his position and sat up removing his head from the desk. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "What was that Sakura?"

She couldn't help but smile as Neji rolled his eyes. "Ino. Has she said anything about…you know…" She trailed off uncertain.

"You mean about you keeping her out of the loop and at arm's length?" He asked bluntly staring at her.

Sakura felt like he just shot her through the throat. She nodded numbly. He leaned back and scratched the back of his head in contemplation. He sighed heavily and shook his head.

"To be honest with you and this might shock you, but no. She hasn't said a word to me about it if that's what you mean. It's not something she wants to talk about I guess," he muttered.

She nodded solemnly. Sasuke leaned over and grasped her hand with his. She looked up at him and he was staring right back at her. His face was quite blank and void, just the way it always was with everyone but his eyes. His eyes looked at her differently but they were firm.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself." he said raising a penalizing eyebrow at her.

She looked away. "I know,"

They hadn't brought up that night in her room when he told her that he loved her. She didn't and neither did he and he hadn't said it since. She hadn't said it to him either not for him to hear even after he got back. She didn't know why she was thinking about that right now. She loved him but she hadn't said it back.

He let her hand go. "She's not my friend she's yours but if any one of them starting drifting away, it would be my responsibility to bring them back. Stop sitting there waiting for this to fix itself. Get up and go over there and stop sulking next to me." he said gruffly leaning back.

"Harsh?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "She's a big girl; she just needs a shove is all. Sakura." Sasuke said flatly. "I said get up and go. I meant go now," he commanded.

He didn't command her very often, hardly ever did and she always had the choice to listen to him or not. However this time was different. She heard it in his voice. He wasn't asking her. He was telling her. Sometimes when they were alone she forgot he was a leader. She forgot that he was a killer and a murderer that his blood ran with dents in it. Sometimes she forgot that there was a monster in him and of him. When they were alone, he made her forget that there were evils to him. He made her forget that of all the men worthy to love, she chose the worst one. He made her forget that she was in love with darkness and snow. God she was in love with him- so wholly and completely in love.

Sakura bit down on her lips to stop them from trembling. She rose from her seat like he said and started making her way to the front where Ino sat down, twirling a blonde lock between her fingers, head down engrossed in something. Her feet felt heavy and she didn't know why she was so nervous about this. She turned and Sasuke was there looking at her blankly. She looked at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes until their teacher came in.

She stopped in front of Ino who was reading a book. Sakura did a double take. A book? Ino didn't read books. She read magazines but not novels or anything else for that matter. Not even her literature books she read. Sakura's heart sank. Ino wasn't even doing any of the subjects she really liked. She'd given that all up to do the same subjects with Sakura just so she didn't have to be alone.

Ino looked up casually and smiled. "Forehead," she said, "Funny seeing you here," she joked.

"Why didn't you come over?" Sakura asked softly.

She shrugged her blue eyes intense. "I figured if anyone wanted to talk they'd come over here once in a while." She replied.

"You're reading a book," Sakura noted.

Ino laughed. It sounded different. "Yeah well I mean why not right? Studying for finals next week fried my brain so I figured what harm does this do? And would you believe it's not that bad?" she held the book up for Sakura to see. It was Daniel Deronda by George Eliot.

Sakura shifted on her feet. This was so awkward and she couldn't understand why. "Are we still studying this weekend?" She asked hopefully.

Ino sighed and leaned back. She chewed her lips as she thought. She had to think about it? Sakura rested her tailbone on the edge of Ino's desk. Her brows creased and she sighed.

"Ino?" She questioned.

"Well do you want to?" Ino asked finally. "I mean we can obviously, I don't have a problem with it or anything."

"What do you mean if I want to?"

"I thought that was self explanatory." She responded flatly. "I have to ask I'm sure you understand why after what happened."

"Ino what are you talking about?"

Ino's eyes turned to slits. "Are you being serious right now? So you don't remember?" she cocked her head to one side in contemplation. "Sakura we were supposed to study over the past weekend and you didn't even call me to tell me you'd be playing house with your boyfriend. I spent the entire weekend studying alone."

If someone had punched Sakura in her gut tearing out her stomach she was absolutely positive that would have shocked her and hurt her far less than Ino's words. It was as if all of a sudden she remembered that conversation of study plans and staying over and movie breaks and…

Sakura swallowed. "Ino I…" she trailed off, her voice breaking. She didn't know what to say.

Ino smiled widely. "Hey it's okay." she said casually. "You know what I think you should just study with Sasuke this weekend and save yourself the trouble. Delilah is coming you should probably get going you know how she is on Monday mornings."

It was an obvious dismissal that wounded Sakura in a way that only someone like Ino could wound her. She blinked and nodded pulling herself from the desk right as their homeroom teach entered. Meekly Sakura made her way to her seat and sank down in it. Why was she doing this? Sakura couldn't understand why she was doing this. She couldn't understand why she was allowing this to happen, why she was causing all this distance between them when the semester was almost over. Why was she doing this?

She turned to look back at Ino who was turned in her chair looking directly at her. Her blue eyes seemed to have had the color sucked out of them. She smiled at Sakura but she saw right through it. It felt so different to be on the other side of the fake smiles. She wished they were real, so badly.

She honestly never remembered. She couldn't believe that she stood Ino up. It was like the second Sasuke came home she forgot about everything else and anything she had planned faded away. She'd been busy grinding and playing vampire with her boyfriend while Ino spent all weekend studying without her. A gaping hole started forming in her chest and she sat there, numb unable to even cry. Why was she doing this? Why was she pulling away? It felt like she couldn't stop it, as if she'd caused irreversible damage but at the same time…

She felt him next to her and she turned her head. He stared at her blankly. "I told you, when it becomes nothing you're going to feel worse."

"Sasuke-"

He gripped her chin and leaned to her face. "If you feel shitty about it, fix it." He said seriously.

She nodded. Sometimes he was so powerful and persuasive all she could do was to submit under his cracked halo. "Okay," she whispered.

She wanted to kiss him with his face this close to hers, with the way his eyes seemed to bore holes of fire into her skull and see through everything she had up.

"Alright you love birds, break it up! You know the rules!" Delilah shouted loudly.

Sasuke pulled away from her and Sakura tried to ignore all the eyes and the glares she was suddenly getting. Even now with the end of the school semester near people still weren't over the fact that they were together. She wondered if they ever would be. She wondered if anyone would ever think she was good enough for him or if she would have to always stand up trying to prove herself.

She glanced at Sasuke who at that point wasn't looking at her but rather at Delilah. She smiled mentally before looking away. He was good to her, that was no lie and he was pushing her to do something that she –for some reason- was afraid to do.

She really tried to focus in class but it wasn't nearly as easy as it used to be with the tinge of a headache looming over her body. She hadn't had a migraine since around the first day she got to Kanoha but she could feel it over the horizon along with the ache in her left hand and shoulder. She coughed and jerked forward. For a split second, she felt like she was drowning. She sat up and coughed again- that hacky wet kind.

When it was almost time for lunch Sakura leaned forward and touched Naruto on the shoulder. "When lunch is over do you want me to tell what she says about anything?" She asked.

She liked talking to Naruto especially with how he was in front of her. She could just whisper in his ears or something. It was harder for them to get caught talking when something was being taught in class. He didn't turn to her like he normally did anyways. She understood.

"Nah," he said, "that's alright. I rather not know,"

"Are you sure? I might be spending a lot more time with her like you guys said, you know, that we should hang around each other more. I know with her being around it would make you uncomfortable."

He shook his head, his bright yellow hair swaying only slightly. He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. That too was a fake one. "I don't need to know anything about Hinata Sakura-Chan. Don't worry about it,"

She nodded leaving it alone. She knew he hated this entire thing and she wished there was something she could do about it but there was nothing. When it was lunch time she found herself sitting next to Hinata in an empty classroom because everybody thought that she was good for the situation. Whatever that meant.

Sakura wanted to help in any way that she could but she didn't really understand how putting them both in the same room would change anything. Sakura was eating an apple while Hinata played around with her noodles, the silence around them heavy and awkward.

Sakura cleared her throat. Might as well jump into it. "Do you love him?" she asked before she changed her mind. "Naruto I mean," she explained.

Hinata sighed and dropped her chopsticks. "What?" she asked even though Sakura knew she heard. Hinata shrugged. "I don't see how that even matters anymore. Everyone keeps asking me that."

"It matters," Sakura disagreed, "feelings always matter regardless of what's going on. Do you love him?"

"I could," Hinata hesitated, "but I don't." she admitted finally looking away, her hair falling over her beautiful face.

Sakura leaned forward, her emerald eyes soft. "Why not? Is something wrong with him? He really loves you you know, even though he might not really say it. He does really and honestly care about you."

Hinata brushed her hair behind her hair, her white eyes beautiful to behold. Who wouldn't love a girl so pretty?

"I know. Can I be honest with you Sakura?" She nodded. "I knew this would happen. I know what kind of situation I am in more than anyone else. I can't allow myself to love him even though he's probably the only person I'll ever want. I'm more than likely…more than likely the last and least fit person for him to be with. I'll be blind soon, temperamental whenever I transform, my human form meekly and withered. I could fall in love with him like he wants but I won't. I can't let that happen it'll only make things worse for all of us." she started eating again.

"What if things were different?"

"They aren't." Hinata whispered. "I wished they were but they aren't. Neji and I have been avoiding and fighting this for so long that there was never any other outcome. This is just the way things are, what am I supposed to do?"

"Have you talked to him about it?"

She flushed and coughed. "I, I, I never know what to say to him. It's hard to talk, uh, to him without stuttering or sounding like some sort of fool. I'm the last person he wants to talk to anyway." Her eyes watered and she hissed. "It's just so stupid."

Sakura scooted her chair closer. "Hey, don't say that." she whispered softly. "That's not true. You don't know what can happen in the future right? Things can change, maybe not the way you want but things can get better in their own way for you."

"I should tell him shouldn't I?" her lips trembled.

Sakura took Hinata's hand. "If the situation were reversed, you'd want him to tell you wouldn't you? You'd feel that you deserve that much?"

"I would,"

"Then you should. Hinata it must break his heart to hear other people telling him that you don't love him. Everyone except you and he knows it's the truth but if you don't say it he'll be stuck in the same place you left him for a very long time. He doesn't deserve that."

"I know." the tears started to fall, her face lightly contorted with pain written over it. "But when I tell him, he'll leave."

"But Hinata, you're already gone." Sakura reasoned gently.

Hinata nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes as she started eating. Sakura hadn't realized how much Hinata needed someone to talk to. Yes they were all friends and they ate lunch together but there was this barrier between them and personal things. They knew each other but they didn't blend personally together. She hadn't realized that Hinata probably never had anyone to talk to about certain things. Sakura hadn't realized just how blind she had been to everyone else. She wasn't the only one going through things; she wasn't the only one having a rough time. Everyone else was too.

"Hinata, I'm sorry this is happening to you." she said sincerely.

Hinata shrugged. "Me too but there is worse yet to come." She said wisely. "Much worse, when I close my eyes that's all I see."

"What do you see?"

"The end. I see the end and it's very black and there is no way out of it. I don't think everyone knows how much danger we're all in. We all just might end up dead."

_**And there you have it everyone! I want to give a big thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favorite and followed this story. Thank you so very much it means more to me than you could ever know. You all are the sole reason why I've pushed myself to finish this story. I had planned on leaving it incomplete but you all message me and review and I just…I feel dedicated and obligated to finish this story for you all with all the wonderful and beautiful things you have said to me about it. THANK YOU! **_

_**PS: I know its back to school time and I just want to wish everyone good luck and an amazing year. Make great friends and when you do keep them –they are hard to find. If life it rough don't give up, set a goal and stay motivated. Don't let those who try to put you down win. YOU ARE DESTINED FOR GREAT THINGS MY FRIEND. GREAT THINGS. **_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V **_


	46. Chapter 46

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! See I told you guys I was going to start being consistent and I'm keeping my promise. As always I LOVE that you guys are sticking it out with me! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Six]**

"Sakura, this is a bad idea." He said tightening his grip on her hand. "We can always go another time."

"You said we have to go," she objected, "she's expecting us and I don't want her to think bad of me. I have to make a good first impression."

His eyes narrowed. "It is freezing outside and you've already had an asthma attack since you woke up this morning. That cough you have is _not _just asthma. What you need to do is stay here."

"No." She argued raising a challenging eyebrow, her green eyes wide.

She was crumbling inside. She was nervous and she was weak but if there was one thing she was more than all of that, it was determined. She was not putting this off no matter how many attacks she had or how cold it got. She wanted to do this and get it over with. They made plans, all their friends and Sasuke's brother's friends. She couldn't live with herself if she ruined that. She was already ruining so much.

He slumped and deflated. "Why don't you ever listen to me?" he pulled her to him, tipping her chin up. "This is not okay."

She held on to his firm arms and smiled. He'd become super protective of her –more so than he'd always been. After finding about Atona and all that was going on, he had her on lock and key. She understood that but it was making her feel so horrible inside. She felt like she was robbing him. She wasn't going to take his day off away from him.

She squeezed his arm. "I'll be fine. You're always such a worry head. I have a coat and it's not that cold." She whispered, tipping on her toe to kiss him. "Besides, you're going to be around, you're not going to let anything happen to me."

He sighed. He wasn't pleased with her stubbornness. "Fine, get your bag and let's go." He said.

"Don't get grumpy," she teased smiling.

He looked over his shoulder at her before rolling his eyes. She coughed loudly and scrunched up her face. He had a weak spot for her that even he couldn't deny.

Honestly she wasn't ready for this. No girl could ever be ready for this. She understood it was important and in all honesty it was only fair but that didn't change anything. The closer they got the more cowardly in the car she became. How would she know what to say or even what to do? How did he know that now was the right time? There was no right way of knowing and now just wasn't a good time.

"Sasuke." she started. "Remind me why this is more important than normal…that I meet her I mean. I'm not going to chicken out or anything."

He sighed. "If I'm going to bring you to the banquet, she hasto meet you. You're going to be practically the only human there who isn't on the menu. You have to meet her," he sighed. "We can turn around." He suggested.

"No," she swallowed. "It's just that…she's your mother. Oh God, it's your mother," she freaked.

"And she's going to love you," he reassured her, "I can count on one hand how many of my girlfriends she's ever met. Tami was never one of them, she'll love you. Why wouldn't she?"

"I'm going to faint," she muttered breathing heavily.

He squeezed her hand as it stayed between both their seats as he drove up to the massive metal gates leading into the compound. For a split second she didn't understand where she was or what she was even looking at it. She leaned forward her jaw miraculously dropping open. It was far larger than she ever though as she stared at the gigantic gates. The gates towered over her like sky scraper with the actual mansion higher still looming far away from the gate. She had seen mansions on television before but she had never seen anything like this. She could see the brick road winding about, the large fountain. She leaned over more, almost climbing on the dashboard where the trimmed rose bushes were a million light years away to the right with parking spaces.

"Sakura get down," Sasuke mumbled as if he was talking to a child.

"You lived here?" she asked incredulously.

"Sakura. Get. Off. The. Dashboard." He repeated.

She laughed before planking herself back down in the seat. He could be so bossy with her, if she wasn't careful it would actually bother her. She liked that about him. He almost always knew what he wanted, when he wanted it and how he wanted it. He was never unsure of anything. Solid. Steady. Secure.

He tapped the staring wheel with his free hand impatiently. The house intimidated her as it towered far down the paved paths. It stood tall and mighty, white with high roofs. She could see the large Spanish windows, the shutter doors opened, the curtains bustling. She could see what seemed like acres of grass beyond the rose bushes. She could _not _do this. What was she thinking? She was in over her head.

The gates creaked open and Sasuke drove in, winding around the cream brick paved out path. He drove around the Asanephpa fountain that squirted water out from her clasped hands above her head. She was in the form a mermaid.

"I can't do this," her heart was racing and she was about to either a) have another asthma attack or b) a panic attack or c) all of the above.

It had only gotten worse as the time grew colder. Sometimes it felt like her lungs were filing up and they would burn and remind of her the idea of drowning. She coughed. She was going to start freaking out with her nervous she was. This would have been less nerve wrecking if they were human and his mother wasn't at the top of their Power Ladder and everything.

"Yes you can." he said, parking the car in one of the many spaces provided near a long line of rose bushes, stretching out. "And you wanted to come today so you're not allowed to have an attack or faint or anything like that." he warned.

He came out of the car and opened the door for her but she didn't move. Instead she took a hacky cough, gripped her throat a winced. That cough had been getting worse, throatier and wetter each time she heard it. She couldn't deny that and her joints started to hurt, especially her shoulder and wrist though she hadn't told Sasuke that.

She knew he noticed too and that the chest pains were worse but he'd stopped asking her about it. She knew as much as he did. They said it was her asthma, acting up because of the change in weather and how cold it was becoming. She knew though that she had to let Tsuande know that it was starting to scare her.

He held out his hand and waited patiently forever and a day before she took it. He pulled her out of the car and closed the door.

"It's not that big of a deal I swear." he said warmly.

His words literally meant nothing to her in that moment. What if his mother hated her? Most women usually did. What if she hated her hair color or the way she couldn't keep eye contact or the way she sounded or just the vibe she gave off? What if his mother hated her? A mother's judgment and verdict could be the death of a relationship.

She looked back to see all the other cars coming in. Sasuke's brother was in one of them. She knew she'd met him but she couldn't remember. Usually she was unconscious when he was around Sasuke told her. She was nervous to meet him too. She wasn't ready to meet his family. She wasn't ready to be thrown so fully into his world.

She couldn't stop it though for she literally watched Itachi step out of his car and make his way over to them. He was handsome; just so very cleanly handsome she almost gasped. The resemblance was also astounding between them. There could be no doubt as to who he was to Sasuke. Itachi walked over to Sasuke nodded his head and je nodded in return.

His aura was undeniable and powerful, strong and smooth. She stuck closer to Sasuke, lacing her fingers through his.

"Sakura," he said pleasantly, "it's nice to finally meet you under acceptable circumstances."

She nodded, her throat dryer than any desert. "L-likewise," she stuttered, "Sorry, I'm just a li-little-"

"Nervous? It makes you feel any better so am I." he said titling his head towards the house with a smirk. "She hasn't seen me in far too long. No one ever knows how exactly she'll react to us."

They went up the small stairs to the large porch the pillars gigantic with a beautiful wind chime high above their heads. She couldn't hide her awe. The front doors were wide open and all the windows with the curtains tied. The grand staircase was unimaginably grand, the tiles were whiter than pearls, the halls spacious and the chandelier gleaming. The color scheme was white, gold and brown all over the public rooms. The trees and paintings dotted about, for a moment she thought she'd entered a mansion like those seen on television- only better.

However, that wasn't the most astounding and eye catching thing she saw. It was the woman standing in the middle of the spacious house near the staircase. Her dark blue hair fell over her body like a water fall, her eyes large and beautiful. She was simply gorgeous, the red lipstick staining her lips rich enough to drip to the floor. Her skin was smooth, the ankle length summer dress out of place within the winter.

She beamed, her lips spreading into a smile that was dazzling enough to blind children. She seemed to float over to them, enveloping Sasuke in a hug so warm she felt it where she stood. She was beautiful- the speechless kind. She seemed lethal in this fearful awestruck kind of way.

"What a fancy surprise my two boys are here," she said lightly grabbing Itachi warmly by the hand, her voice gracious, the kind that could be a dream-catcher if dream-catchers could talk. She lightly slapped Itachi in his head. "I haven't seen you in ages! You couldn't even give your old woman a phone call?"

His family was gorgeous. Sakura could hardly believe it. They were like golden people as if the most attractive people to ever exist came together and decided to make a family. She felt awkward standing or specifically Sakura felt hideous surrounded by them and their flawless nature. Any human would feel ugly standing with them. She let them talk and tried to be as invisible as she could muster standing there holding on to Sasuke's hands.

She focused on her breathing. The woman's face was very symmetrical with nice cheek bones and an elegant nose, her lips were smooth lined and not a blemish could be seen. Her dark eyes seemed to gleam like jewels in the sun in summer brighter than any eye Sakura thought could gleam. She truly was a breath taking woman to look at.

"Have they arrived?" Itachi asked looking around his mothers shoulders with light excitement.

"You can't hear them making a ruckus upstairs? They're practically causing an earth quake here and you _have to tell Kisame I don't want any water in this house,_" she said seriously, "every time he loses not only is it loud, it's disastrous."

Just as she said that a huge noise echoed through the house laughter and deep throats. It was the kind of sounds men made watching the Game or the Superbowl- full of excitement and boisterous. Itachi chuckled, his face gaining this boyish stature about it. It was incredible for Sakura to watch.

Itachi placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder warmly, his onyx eyes clashing with hers. "So I'm grown but when you're done, you have to come and play with us." he said invitingly. "I guarantee you will have a fantastic time with us. We're not nearly as uptight as we look." he said.

Sasuke scoffed. "That's what you call it now? 'Fantastic'?"

"Don't get smart," Itachi quipped lightly, "Bring her up," He said before pushing his finger into Sasuke's forehead, kissing his mother on the temple and walking away from them.

Sakura glanced at him. "According to my brother and his friends, you aren't apart of the flock until you've played with them. This was usually for business but over time it's become…this." He explained waving his hand on cue with the noise. "Hence why our friends are here,"

Sakura looked around curiously. "Where did they come in? I haven't even seen them," Sakura said wondering why their friends hadn't passed through the front door with them.

"Side entrance," He replied turning his gaze to his mother.

Her face was inviting just the cutest most beautiful thing Sakura had ever seen. Her eyes were so large and so round and so glossy she could have passed for a doll. "Who do we have here?" Mikoto asked staring at Sakura, her gaze unwavering.

As a rule Sasuke wasn't allowed to introduce her to his mother. Sakura had to introduce herself. He'd told her this in the car on the way here and for a moment, her weight fell against him. She could really faint due to this. She felt intimidated just standing in front of the woman whose scent actually smelt like heaven wafting in her nostrils.

"Sakura…Sakura Haruno," she said looking everywhere but at his mother, "I'm his girlfriend," Sasuke had told her that she had to say that part but her voice came out so low, Sakura could hardly hear herself.

"His girlfriend?" She asked gasping her smile widening. "Sasuke, I'm meeting your _girlfriend_?"

"Yes mother, you are meeting my girlfriend. Don't act surprised you already know this. I already told you this."

She frowned slightly. "She's…human? I can't really tell." Mikoto said inspecting her, "You want to bring her to Nebulous?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded. "That's the idea,"

"You've lost all your marbles haven't you? You know the rules don't you?" She asked turning and walking deeper into the house, walking through an archway into the sitting room.\

Sasuke squeezed her hand reassuringly and dragged her along.

"If I'm coming she's coming with me," he said casually.

"I never said she couldn't come now did i? I asked you in you've gone mad or something for I can't see why you'd want to risk bringing a human girl to this event. What do you think of that Sakura?" Mikoto asked flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Do you think he's lost his marbles because I'm positive he's not thinking straight."

"I've told him that," Sakura said under her breath.

Sasuke smirked. She whipped around to look at Sakura wide eyed. "You have?" she exclaimed. "You think my _dear son _is _crazy_?"

"Well…" she trailed off and Sasuke squeezed her hand, "Isn't he? I mean cons…considering…?" she said without certainty.

She laughed boisterously, dropping a hand over Sakura's shoulder and ripping her body away from Sasuke. She enveloped Sakura in a hug. Her body was warm and soft like the crevice of a pillow. For a moment Sakura didn't know how to react until she hugged the woman in return.

"Sasuke, I like her. She thinks you're crazy and she's still with you. That's how you know they're a keeper," she giggled.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Very funny,"

She kissed Sakura on her cheek as if they'd known each other forever and a day. "Whoops, gave you a smudge darling," she said using her thumb to rub off the lipstick. "I'm Mikoto Sasuke's mother but I'm sure you've guessed that. You would think I'd have met all his girlfriends but you're the first I've met in…in about fifty years." She said wildly. "Welcome."

"Thank you Mrs. Uchiha,"

She cackled. "Don't be nervous, I don't bite. Call me Mikoto, Mrs. Uchiha is just so formal." She said lightly. "Well to make things easier I'll give her the corsage to wear so they'll know she's off limits since you always get what you want. I'm not afraid to say that this is a bad idea. I digress but Sasuke we have some light things I need to talk to you about. I hate to take you away from this pretty little girl but it's actually a great thing that you came today."

Sakura leaned into the woman, her face blushing. She felt more human than she'd expected and there was something so warm and inviting about her. She held on tightly to Sakura as if she was already one of them. It had been a long time since she met someone who liked her so much so quickly that wasn't family.

"We do?" He almost whined. "Right now? Must we?"

"Yes we must," Mikoto said sternly.

Sakura knew Sasuke was sick and tired of having to talk about business and important things and his responsibilities. She knew he was up to his neck in reports and all sorts of things and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about important things with his mother. She knew that already and she wished he didn't have to. He deserved a break sometimes.

"Now is better than never. We won't be down here all day Mother and I don't have the kind of time that I used to have." Sasuke said. "Let's get it over with then."

She nodded and patted Sakura on the back. "Sakura, why don't you walk around while I talk to Sasuke for a little bit? He'll be right with you, I promise." She said.

Sakura nodded meekly and slinked away from Mikoto's hold. She watched them saunter off away from her, Mikoto's arm wrapped around his as they walked. They looked so perfect, even from behind. She was so feminine and he was so muscular, standing tall and broad beside her fragile, dainty frame.

Sakura turned and started walking and roaming the halls. The entrance into the house could be used for a ballroom if they wanted to but she probably figured they had somewhere separate for that. She paused in front of the gargantuan fire place that had an even larger family painting above it. They were dressed liked people from the 14th century or something.

Mikoto's gown was simply amazing, the ruff high around her like lace, the bodice tight with a square neck line, pushing her breasts up beautifully. Her headdress had Sakura in complete shock an awe, standing tall on her head, elegant and well done, the cloth falling back behind her with her straight hair, the jewels adorning her neck simply incredible as she sat surrounded by the most gorgeous painting of men. Her husband and two sons. Her husband stood tall behind her, her two sons on either side of her. They looked like a royal family. They looked completely and utterly powerful, hands in front of them, backs straight, their clothes looking like the best ever.

"Wow," she breathed.

She wondered what things must have been like back then. She wondered what the world and people were like and how different it must have been compared to now. It was obvious that there weren't in Kanoha or even Japan during this time period. England maybe?

"The renaissance," Sasuke said.

Sakura jumped and shook her head. "You were alive for that?"

"We've been here for a lot of things," he said, "Come on let's walk. We've got a problem,"

She groaned. "Really? If it's not one thing then it's another." She sighed as he took her through two French doors leading to the outside world. "What is it?"

He was silent for a long time as they walked. The sun was high over head but it was freezing. Sakura was already in a sweater but beneath it she felt the chill. As they walked down the side of the house on the paved walkway Sakura slowly started to realize how big the place was. It was a _compound. _She could see other places detached from the house far down, she could see the garden and when she squinted to her left she thought she could make out a tennis court. They were going to the garden.

She wondered if he would ever talk but she didn't want to rush him about it. She knew he was stressed and still beat up with all that's been happening. They all were and she had to just be the best and most understanding person she could be.

"To start off," he begun, "I don't like this and I wish I could change it."

"Change what?"

"I've never told you about Keiako have I?" he asked rhetorically. "She's one of those people you hope never comes up in conversation. I was told about the possibility a while back around the time we got together. You'd think that I'd get what I want." He sighed.

"What about her?" Sakura dared herself to ask. She felt the dread come over her that she couldn't explain.

"Well she was the last girlfriend I'd ever allowed to meet my mother. A fairly long time ago and I haven't seen her since we split. It's been drawn to my attention that she's been invited to the banquet. This isn't a usual thing; she has never been invited before."

"So why now?"

"Because our infrastructure is crumbling and everything is in chaos. Succubus' get invited every year, we never neglect specie or anything but she has never been one of them. Not high enough on the social power ladder if you will but we've been forced to extend our hands and her family has personally been invited."

She tried not to show any reaction. "And?"

"She'll be here with the first wave of Kavazwalian. This is a big event that takes months of planning. Due to location, many of our guests arrive early and she will be one of them. They also leave late around late January early February. She will also be here after the banquet is over. To put it mildly, she'll come up and she'll be staying a small while."

Sakura looked down. To be fair no one could ever ask her not to be threatened. Sakura had seen people of their kind, she'd seen how beautiful they are and she'd seen what they can do. She knew that what she had with Sasuke is special but she was just a girl. She was like any other girl and they all saw in him what she did. They weren't excluded, they all wanted him and this girl –whoever she was- had him at one point. She looked at her feet as they walked. She didn't know what to say.

"Okay," she replied since that was the only thing she could find.

She didn't know if she was supposed to say more than that but her day had just been ruined. She didn't want to be bratty and this wasn't something she could change, she had no control over this but the sole thought of having his ex here made her severely uncomfortable.

"I know you don't like it." He said simply. "I don't like it either this news has put a kink in things."

"Okay,"

"Sakura," he said sighing.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked looking at him. "I'm not even supposed to be invited; I'm not going to complain."

His hand draped around her shoulder. "I understand this is appalling news to you, it is to me as well for I do not like her or wish to see her. There is a reason I haven't seen her since the day I left her,"

"Can I have that tour your mother was talking about?" Sakura asked changing the subject.

Speaking about Sasuke's ex-encounters wasn't something she wanted to partake on or think about. She had too many things going on and trying to fix that this was something she wouldn't think about. He looked at her, she could tell he didn't want to let it go but also she saw that he knew he couldn't fix it. He nodded his head.

They didn't tour the entire compound, he'd told her that would take up too much time. According to him, the place extended far more than she even imagined. There were four guest houses with one itched into the forest. They had a manmade lake, tennis courts, pools and theaters. They had –and this she could see when he showed her- another house, perhaps just 1/4th smaller than the beautiful mansion of glass windows ways down the road. The first waves of guests would be staying there.

They toured the mansion. He took her through the halls, down and through the arches, the painting and artifacts scattered beautifully. Itachi was apparently situated with his friends in the west wing of the house. The tour took a while and she loved the way he was talking –something he didn't do often.

Eventually they ended up in the west wing were everyone was. Everyone was present except Tenten –who had declined the invitation, Hinata –who had claimed to be sick and Ino –who downright decided she wasn't getting out in this cold to sit in a sweaty room while men play video games all day. Sakura knew that wasn't true though. She knew that wasn't the reason Ino didn't show up, she just didn't want to come; didn't want to spend time with them and Sakura. She was pulling herself away and Sakura couldn't understand why she was just standing by and letting her.

Sakura got introduced to a whole new set of people which at first overwhelmed her in the ridiculously large gaming room. She tried to memorize all the names: Konan, Kisame, Pain and Sasori.

They all seemed to get along very well and Sakura smiled inwardly as Naruto tackled Sasuke down on the carpet calling him a cheat. She laughed loudly. This is why she had to come. She knew Sasuke would have a good time and he'd more than earned it. She couldn't take these chances away from him. She wanted him to be happy; she wanted to see him happy with his friends.

She pushed herself to her feet leaning down to tell Sasuke she was going to the kitchen. As he led her to the kitchen she kept thinking about all the things that lay ahead. She stuck her hands into her clothes to warm her hands, the air a little colder than normal with winter being on now.

They entered the kitchen, the French doors and windows wide open, the large granite counter spotless and clean. The counter went all around the kitchen, large high cupboard above it on the walls and below. Sasuke gripped her by the waist and planked her on top of the granite island.

She laughed. "What are you doing?"

He walked over to what seemed like a door but she was sure lead to the pantry. They seemed like the kinds of people to have pantries- big ones. He came back out with a room temperature bottle of water and handed it to her. She smiled. She always smiled when she looked at him, she couldn't help it.

She uncapped the bottle for and fidgeted. "So this girl," she started as he opened her legs and stood between them. She locked her legs casually around him, his arms around her waist.

He rested his head on her chest and she glanced down at him. She didn't want to ask and she knew she probably might not like the answers she would get but at the same time she wanted to know. This didn't surprise her in fact she had expected to encounter his ex-girlfriends sooner.

"Yes?" He prompt.

"When is she coming?" Sakura asked, trying to make her voice sound nonchalant.

She'd already faced Tami and it was brutal –still was. She'd face Atona –who was never even with him- and that was disastrous and a very horrid experience for her. Any woman who walked this boy's path felt heavily and intensely for him –she was no exception and neither was his exes. Sasuke was the kind of man that even with time, the loss of him could gut you the same way it had before.

"Perhaps today with the first set of Kavazwalian travelers." He said. She remained silent, her hand dangling off his shoulders. "I know this does not please you." He muttered.

"…"

He pulled away and stood up. He bit his lip and twisted his lips. "I know you don't want her here and I know you're mad."

"I'm not very mad. I am a little –not at you but at the situation I guess- but not a lot." She said looking everywhere but at him. "I'm merely afraid. Your girls tend to want me dead, my head on a pike." She whispered. "And I'm insecure as it is, I'm sorry but it's true. I'm not the prettiest girl in the flock; anyone else could have you if they really wanted to."

"She won't touch you."

Sakura looked him dead in his eyes. "Tami did. Atona who was never with you did. Sasuke you don't understand how many beatings and bruises I've gotten because of you, just because they didn't like me. What makes her so different? You're not around me all the time, they'd find a way." Her hands flew to her mouth. She wanted to take it back from the moment she said it. "I didn't… I didn't mean it like that." she said quickly.

He held his head down, a shadow of a smirk on his face…the broken kind. He held her face. "You did. It is also true." He rested his forehead on hers. "I'll see what I can d-"

"There you love birds are!"

Sakura froze turning her head to see Mikoto standing near the open French doors, arms folded leaning against the door.

"I'm so sorry," Sakura stuttered, flushing scarlet.

She was on the woman's island but Sasuke didn't show any reaction. He didn't try to move so she could jump off the counter and she couldn't do it on her own for he was stronger than her on many different levels.

"Nonsense," she smiled waltzing in, "sit anywhere and on anything you like. Sasuke, your father has requested you in the office. He claims it's for a mere moment, I don't know what it's about." She said pausing next to them.

His eyes narrowed. "You didn't ask?"

She rested her hand on his shoulders. "Honey, I know better than to ever dare do such a thing in a time like this. He asks for you, I come and I fetch you. Therefore, you leave your girlfriend and you go immediately."

He closed his eyes. "I didn't come here for business,"

"He does not care what you came here for. I'll keep the sweetheart company. Now go," she said, leaning against Sakura's legs.

Sakura instantly tried to jump off the counter but Mikoto, elbow on her leg kept her rigid in place. She laughed the sound like music she's never heard.

"Stay right where you are, I said you can sit there so stay seated there." she said nonchalantly moving. "So Sakura, I'm sure my son has told about the unfortunate turn of events and that his past will be rolling in today."

She looked at her hands in her lap. Sakura was intimidated and nervous. "Yes."

"Sasuke won't be gone long so let me get this over with. I have a story to tell you," she said looking Sakura dead in the eyes. "I like you Sakura; I can say that soundly for I've hardly ever liked any woman Sasuke has ever brought to me in my home. However, you have to prove to me that you're worth staying in my good graces. You understand?"

"I do,"

"When Sasuke was little, he had to go –just like his brother had- to a camp to cut the heads off of Kavazwalians and execute them by various means ordained by the council. He was very young then, a mere boy…barely touched six in human years. Could you have imagined how terrible that was? How I felt as a mother to know my son had to be sent to commit murder? He didn't want to go, gave me hell and back. Wouldn't even look me in the face, cried for days, wouldn't even eat and spent his time with his other mother –you might not understand that part seeing as I don't know how much he's told you. As his mother, what do you think I did?" she inquired, perfect brow raised.

She was so beautiful, Sakura was entranced. "I don't know. What did you do?"

"I sent him anyway and I never hugged him before he went. He left my face hard and rigid." She replied smiling.

"Why did you let him go? He didn't want to." She objected.

"They say you should let your children lead and live their own lives but they don't always know what's good for them. Sakura, if I hadn't sent my son he would have turned into a coward and _cowards aren't welcomed in my home_." she said sternly. "That is why I sent him. Do you understand why I am telling you this? His ex-girlfriend, I didn't invite her. I personally don't want her here but she's coming and she will not like you. Do not back down from her. You might be human but don't you dare stand down, I don't care if she tries to rip your heart out and feed your souls to the wolves that howl at night."

She looked away and swallowed hard.

She walked over to grip Sakura's chin. "Hold your head up girl. Stop being so afraid of the world. You know what I thought of you the second I saw you? Good hearted, pure to your ribcages but you have no dirt under your nails, no grit in your grip and no conviction for your beliefs." Sakura looked her in her deep eyes, round and big as if there was a fire inside of them. "I like you and I feel like you might stick around for a while but if you cannot stand up for yourself, for your relationship and my son you are too weak to be here. And know this, the weak die first. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

She smiled even wider. "You're a beautiful little thing. Don't know where he picked you up from." She laughed.

"I'd like if you wouldn't try to scare my girlfriend when I'm not around," Sasuke said gently pushing his mother out of the way.

Sakura felt the relief was over her body as Sasuke helped her down the counter. "Me? Scare her? I'd never. Teaching her then yes, of course. I like her, I'm trying to make sure she stays." She explained. "What did your father say?"

"Say?" Sasuke chuckled. "Let's not talk about th-" his brows furred.

"Speak of the devil." Mikoto said unpleasantly. "Extend our hands just so our world doesn't crumble."

"What is it?" Sakura asked looking through the kitchen entrance.

"You won't be able to hear them until they get closer. They're here. Come, let's go somewhere else." Sasuke suggested taking her hand.

Sakura glanced at Mikoto. The woman raised her eyebrows challengingly and nodded her head encouragingly. Sakura didn't want to disappoint her as she stood there watching her. If she disappointed this woman only Heaven knew what would happen to her or their relationship especially after that horrible story she'd just been told.

"No," she said before she changed her mind or fear strangled her, "let's stay. She has to meet me eventually right?"

_Fuck yes! Some balls! I am all FOR this! _Her inner yelled. Sakura ignored her.

Sasuke looked at her quizzically. "Are you sure?" he asked. "We can go if you'd like, you don't have to stay here. They're headed in this direction." He said.

She could hear chatter and footsteps now. She felt faint but she wanted Sasuke's mother to like her. She wanted Mikoto to want her around and love her like a daughter or something. She wanted to stay in the woman's good graces. She had something to prove.

"I'm sure,"

He wasn't convinced. "What did my mother say to you?"

"Me?!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Sasuke the girl is free to make her own choices,"

"Just a moment ago when I was here she wanted to leave," he accused, "what did you do?"

Mikoto laughed. "I'm trying to give her a back bone, the one she has a little bit lacking. Lighten up, I've done nothing wrong. You're such a worry head she's safe here you know. I couldn't hurt a fly."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. The chatter became even louder and then Sakura saw them, two girls stepping into the kitchen. She didn't know who was who but they seemed like the kinds of girls in the best magazines, flawless down to their cells. Her hair was flaming red, matching the intense ruby reds she had for eyes. Her glasses sat on her face, her skin tanned with legs long decked in red stilettos clashing with her black high waist shorts and white crop top.

"Well hello there," she smiled teeth white like pearls. Wasn't she freezing?

The other one was frozen in place like Sakura was. Sakura didn't have to ask to know who the ex-girlfriend was. The other one…she was…Sakura could hear her own heart beating. Her hair was jet black, cheekbones well defined with the most astounding bursting violet eyes. Her lips were lined, her body full of curves, deep crevices and high rises. Her heels wrapped all the way up her calves in her brown cargo pants that stopped at her knee and her v-neck white top that clung to her chest.

They both curtsied, their heads and knees bent low. "Legeem Kapasula," They said in unison, before saying something in a language Sakura didn't understand. It sounded so humble, so formal and it was then Sakura remembered that Mikoto wasn't just a mere woman. She was on the council with her husband.

Mikoto nodded her head solemnly before flicking her hand upwards. "Come now, save it for my husband Karin." She said sweetly, opening her arms to envelope the girl who laughed loudly.

"It's so good to see you!" The red head exclaimed hugging Sasuke. "It's been so long Sasuke, too long."

"It has been a while yes," Sasuke agree less enthusiastically. "Karin, this is my girlfriend Sakura. Sakura, this is Karin."

Sakura couldn't find her voice. She didn't know where it went, probably ran off the moment they stepped into the kitchen. She couldn't in no way or form compare to these girls, she knew that deep down in her heart.

"You can call me a very old friend," Karin said holding out her hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you. You guys must be pretty serious; most of his girlfriends never make it here if I can remember correctly."

"Right, of course they don't. Least they never used to, it was saved for the best." The violet eyes girl said sarcastically giving Mikoto a short hug. She looked at Sasuke for a minute, her eyes full of emotions. "Sasuke,"

There was this silence between them as they stared at each other. Her violent eyes seemed to gash fire, full of tension and words unsaid. Sakura stared at her without looking away, taking the girl in.

"Always thrilling to see you Keiako," Sasuke said in a deadpanned voice. "Hits me right where it hurts,"

"I bet," she sneered, "I know my face is just that good to look at."

Sakura took a deep breath and held out her hand. She wasn't going to wait for Sasuke to introduce her she was going to do it herself. She felt like she had something to prove to this beautiful girl with the eyes like death that stared at her with distaste. She had Sasuke, not her and she wasn't going to shy away.

"Sakura," she said pleasantly with her hand out, awaiting the handshake.

Keiako raised an eyebrow and looked at her hand flatly. "Yes so I've heard."

Sakura forced her hand not to waver even after her heart threatened to pop right through her throat. "I don't know where you come from but its common curtsey to return the handshake." Sakura said in a warm voice.

Mikoto laughed boisterously, slapping Sasuke on the back. "Talk about spunk!" she said giddily. "Now that's what I'm talking about girl. Keiako don't be a sour puss, you were raised correctly I'm sure don't be disrespectful in my presence."

Her eyes sharpened. She took Sakura's hand and shook it quickly. The girls hand was soft, her flesh pulsing in a way that made Sakura's skin crawl uncomfortably. What was she?

"I wonder just exactly where you snatched this one from," she retorted releasing Sakura's hand and sizing her up agan.

"Keiako," Sasuke said simply, "Before your head gets any bigger let me draw a line so clear cut even you can understand. You just got here. Don't test me. I'll snap your neck and let you bleed out on my kitchen floor. Watch it." he warned.

Sakura looked up at him stunned. Keiako stood tall with her head held high, eyes lighted and challenging. She stepped closer to Sasuke, as if she was daring him to do something; something Sakura feared he wouldn't hesitate to do. Sasuke didn't make empty threats; he wasn't that kind of man.

She nodded her head. Right, it was time to go. "Alright I think that's enough. Mikoto, I can't wait to see you again before I leave. Sasuke come on." She urged him, taking his hand in hers, "It's not kind to be making threats to your guests. You know that."

"Even if they're pretentious?" Sasuke whispered under his breath letting her lead him out of the kitchen.

She laughed. "Especially if they're pretentious." She scolded.

The moment they were out of earshot and view he snatched her from behind tugging her to him. She laughed. "What are you doing?"

"I've been noticing how much you're changing," he said against her ears, "but I can't say I don't like it. What did my mother say to you to get you to stay there and meet her? She's fairly dislikeable and full of crazy that girl."

"It doesn't matter," she responded, "but I did. Come on, Naruto must be wondering where we are." She said changing the subject.

She didn't want to talk about it. Not just what his mother had told her. She didn't want to talk about that girl. She accentuated and oozed sexuality, just looking at her made Sakura feel inadequate. Her legs were longer, her skin was smoother, her hips were wider, her ass was bigger, her breasts were higher, her hair was shiner and for goodness sake her eyes were violet. Sakura couldn't compete with that.

As a matter of fact, she couldn't compete with anything. That girl hated her she could see it in her eyes. It was obvious that she and Sakura wouldn't get along. She wanted to avoid that girl, prevent complications but she had to show Mikoto that she wasn't weak. She just met the woman and she was already influencing Sakura to be braver. That was a good thing right?

There were more noises around the house. Karin and Keiako weren't the only ones to come. She knew that.

"I don't want to meet anyone else," she whispered as they headed to the west wing.

"Then you won't." He said simply. "I've already put you in a shit position as it is. I'm sorry being my girlfriend is such a strenuous and difficult task."

She didn't want to be a coward. She was trying to be brave and determined. She was afraid to go to this banquet in a few weeks but she had to go. She had to go and she had to wear Sasuke's arm well. She had to make an impression.

_Keep your head up girl. Stop being so afraid of the world. _Mikoto had said.

_Stop being so afraid of the world. _She couldn't get the conversation out of her head.

_The weak die first. _

_Cowards aren't welcome in my home. _

Sakura thought of the look she'd seen in the girls eyes. The hate. The fire.

_Don't you dare stand down, I don't care if she tries to rip your heart out and feed your soul to the wolves that howl at night._

_I won't _Sakura thought. She always did cower and run and cry when they came at her to hit her. She never stood her ground, she always felt like she was in the wrong but this time she wasn't. She wasn't in any wrong. Sasuke was with her. She was his girlfriend. He belonged to her.

_I won't stand down. _

_**And there you guys have it! I hope you guys have been having a great week and if not, keep your head up. Some struggles might make you feel it'll last forever but it's only temporary. Smile! **_

_**Loving you all,**_

_**D.V**_


	47. Chapter 47

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! I know what is going on with these frequent chapters! Trust me even I'm very surprised by this. Anyway have a whack at this chapter guys and gals **___

_**Title**__**:**____**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__ __**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Seven]**

Something wasn't right. Something was missing but he was so deep within the abyss of his demons and his mind that it was difficult to really figure out what it was. One foot was in reality while the other lulled in sleep. Half of something was gone but to pull himself out of unconsciousness was proving to be more difficult than he could have imagined.

Sasuke moved slightly on the bed turning his head on the pillow. His eyes shot open. He was alone in his bed. He was alone in his bed which should be impossible because he didn't fall asleep alone at two this morning. He pulled himself into a sitting position. The outline of her body in the sheets were still there.

He was two seconds from a heart attack when he felt her. She was nearby. Throwing the covers from his lower body Sasuke came out of bed and shuffled down his hall to the kitchen. She was sitting on the counter with a bowl in her hands.

She turned when she heard him and smiled. "Hi," she said brightly.

This was practically her home. She spent more time with him here than she spent anywhere else. She knew this place in and out, this was her place too. Everything that was his was also now hers, including the counter which she sat up on. He remembered the first time she was here, afraid to even touch anything.

He dragged his hand over his face. "You almost killed me. You know that?"

Her brows furred, green eyes taking him in. She came off the counter and put down the bowl. "What did I do?" she asked.

He enveloped her in his arms and kissed her temple. Her hair was a mess but so was his. Her body smelt of his cologne and body, her hair fresh and sweet.

"Thought they'd kidnapped you or something," he muttered, "what are you eating?"

"Some fruits I found in the fridge." She said her voice muffled in his chest. She inhaled his sent, her hands holding on to him tightly.

His house was warm when she was here. He let her go to rummage through the kitchen for something to eat. Sasuke couldn't tell when last he'd slept so good as he had just now. It was one of those blank dreams that just eased all the knots in his skin and revitalized his body.

Now that they were finally on winter break and with the banquet only a days away, he was more than glad to have Sakura here with him. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She was in his long sleeved white T-shirt that stopped almost mid thigh, her skin glowing. He could see the scars and battle marks up her legs and thighs. He wondered how long she had to work in the mornings to cover them up back then. How much of her effort she had to put in to hide them. How ashamed she must have been.

He watched her tip on her toes, stretching to the cabinet above her head. He watched the shirt rise, watched more flesh come into his view accompanied by scars. She wasn't ashamed of them anymore and she wasn't shy about showing herself to him. Not fully naked but they were certainly getting pretty close he wasn't going to lie.

"Why do I feel your eyes on me Mr. Uchiha?" she demanded.

He chuckled. "They are. I couldn't imagine you'd want me looking elsewhere." He replied strolling over.

He stood behind her and stretched his hand above her head reaching the bowls at the top. He plucked one out and closed the door, placing it in her small hand. He didn't move from behind her and she just stood there. His hand snaked around her waist to hold her. It slicked up her blouse, his hand firmly cupping a breast in his palm. She sighed against his touch. He could eat her up both literally and figuratively.

"You know where to find me," he whispered in her ear kissing her neck softly.

Maybe she was waiting for something and maybe he was planning to do something. He wasn't sure. Sometimes he just acted on impulse with her and left things to Fate. Instead he moved away and left the kitchen silently. He had work to do. With or without her here, he wasn't on any kind of vacation.

Sasuke opened the door and entered his office. He pulled out different blank scrolls from the cabinet along with a quill pen and an ink jar. He sat at the head of the meeting table and rolled out the parchment. Using his left nail he made a cut in his right hand, letting the blood with its black splotches drain into the ink jar. Time to make these long and overdue reports and to hand them in.

He dipped the quill pen in the blood and started writing on the scroll in Kavazwalian. Things like this –paper work for the Pentitantum- was something he hated more than most of the other things that he hated. He had to choose his words carefully and had to decide what to omit and what to keep in. So much had been happening and without the Pentitantum's knowledge, the entire goal of his Knights had changed. He was on a completely different mission now.

He was almost done when he sensed her. He heard her nearing footsteps before he even saw her. She knocked softly.

"Come," he replied.

She dipped her head in. "Can I stay?" she asked her face overly cute.

She had showered and washed her face. Her hair was now combed, its pink beautiful mane in an adorable messy bun atop of her head. It was a shocking color, bringing her features full frontal, her gorgeous emerald eyes like stars. She stepped fully into the doorway, holding up large book with a lock at the side.

"Won't bother you I promise," she said persuasively.

He nodded, beckoning her to come inside. He'd seen that book a few times when he was in her room but he'd never seen her open it or write in it before. The book was deep suede red and he watched as she used a locket to open it, the pages a dark kind of blue.

He started writing again leaning back in his seat as he did so. This took time to finish. They wanted answers. They wanted the kind of answers Sasuke couldn't give them. Corruption was everywhere and if there was one thing he was certain of about the Pentitantum it was that they were corrupt. If they knew what was going on there would be even more trouble than there already was.

They weren't a monarchy really but more of a democracy or that was what they told themselves. People were hungry for power, hungry to jump levels and to become stronger. People weren't like Sasuke. People didn't have control of themselves and their desires. They couldn't look at power and do the right thing. They often overestimated themselves too. Everyone thought they could rule the world. Sasuke knew that no one person could rule this world, no matter how powerful. Men were not Gods. Kavazwalians were not Gods either. Gods were Gods and men were just that- men.

"Will you be done by the time they get here?" Sakura asked breaking the silence.

He heard her. He would have answered her right away if he wasn't occupied with the pen in his hand. He held up one finger at her, his brows creased in concentration. He had to play with his words. He had to convince them that he was telling them everything when in reality he was just repeating himself.

"Yes," he said after a few minutes of silence before he dropped the pen. He took the scroll and flashed it a little. He stood up and glanced at her.

"How will you get it to them?" She asked. "I mean the…council or whatever? Do you have a messenger or something?"

He glanced up at her. It was supposed to only be a second but his eyes lingered. He couldn't help it. It was hard to look at her for a mere second before looking away. He liked when she did this. It never seemed to annoy him the way it would when Tami did it or any of the other girls. He liked when she asked questions and he loved when he had the answers.

"No. They use messengers. The Pentitantum likes the idea of using little children or anyone or anything really. Do you want to see?"

She dropped the pen between the blue pages of the red book and leaned forward. She grinned childishly.

"Yes."

"It isn't that impressive." He stated.

"I don't even care I'll take any chance I can get to just stare you down."

He pointed to the paper. "I have to stamp it."

He held his hand up, palm facing her. He mumbled under his breath and ever so gently blew out a gust of fire from his mouth lighting his entire hand. She stared wide eyed, mouth slightly open. Sasuke pressed his flaming hand at the base of the scroll, a cooling sound coming off from the parchment. With a flick of his left unlit hand the scroll rolled itself up. Sasuke gripped it and held on to it, sealing and binding it with the fire before it went out.

She clapped almost giddily as he held up the scroll with the black imprint of his hand wrapped around it for her to see. Her eyes were lighted. Sasuke never thought he'd ever meet someone who could see what he was or what he could and not be afraid.

"That's how you do it?"

"That is how I do it." he agreed.

"And you said it wasn't impressive." She retorted pushing her seat back to stand and walk over to him.

"That wasn't impressive. You haven't seen impressive." He replied.

She laughed. "Then why don't you?"

"Challenge accepted Ms. Haruno." He said glancing at her.

She hovered near him but not too near, as if she was afraid to come too close. "If I touch it they would know right?"

"They would." He agreed. "Give me second let me send this in."

He pricked his finger and on his desk very neatly he drew a couple symbols on the desk, placing the scroll on top. His hand hovered above it for a couple seconds before the scroll and the blood markings disappeared. Her dulcet fingers pressed against the wooden table where the scroll once was, the tips of her fingers dragging across the table.

Sasuke watched her. He wondered what was going on in her head. He wondered what she was thinking as she stared at the table feeling the remnants of the heat that was once there.

"That's amazing," she whispered.

He sat down again in his chair, pushing the other blank scrolls aside. He chewed his lip for a second.

"Let me show you something," he said taking her hand, pulling her down to sit in his lap.

Her hand draped lazily around his shoulder as she sat crossway his legs. He dipped the pen into the ink jar before handing it to her. She looked at him quizzically before taking it into her hands. He flicked his finger and the scroll unfolded along the table. He wrapped his own hand around hers that held the pen.

"Surprise me." she purred.

Her voice was like sex to his ears, the hair on his skin rising. She was staring at him intently. Carefully he started guiding her hand, pressing the pen onto the paper. It seemed to burn into the parchment, the blood burning like lava and sinking into it. She glanced at him her hand stiffening. He waited before guiding her hand again and she watched her eyes wide in amazement.

"Each blank scroll on this table is different because they're meant for different people. Not all scrolls are for the Pentitantum, there are other divisions/councils." He explained looking up back at her.

Her free hand touched his face with breath taking tenderness. Her thumb ran over his lips. Sakura looked at him as if she was seeing him for the very first time and he couldn't look away. His face falling into her gentle touch.

"Why haven't I said it back to you?" she whispered, talking to herself more than to him.

His lips twitched. He already knew what she was talking about. He could feel it like gentle coils knotting in his chest. Since they came back he hadn't brought it up and he hadn't said it again. Sasuke couldn't remember why he even said it whether it was true or not. It was rushed. He felt it pulse through his veins and he felt like if he hadn't said it right there and right then, he would never have the chance again.

He hadn't known her long enough to love her. He hadn't known her long enough to fall but he couldn't remember his life before her. He couldn't remember the thousands of sun rises and sunsets he'd seen before her. He couldn't remember the colors of the world before she came in as if she brought color into his black and white world. It seemed dramatic sometimes the truth could be. He squeezed her delicate hand.

"You don't have to."

He knew she hadn't said it back to him that didn't really matter. She didn't need to say it. She fell in love with him harder and faster than he fell for her in his immortal state. He didn't need to her to say it and she didn't have to feel the same way. It wasn't something he wanted to even bring up. He said it too soon. He'd wanted to hold onto it until they had aged like wine together.

Her fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. You knew home the moment you found it and she felt like every kind of home he could ever want. She didn't know how afraid he was that something could happen to them. Homes could be burnt to the ground; they could be buried and lost under the snows of winter. Homes could die and so could she.

She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his forehead. Lips soft like a cloud with her fingers playing in his hair. His hold on her hand with the pen slackened, her touch making him weak in a way only she could do it. There was a knock.

Sasuke looked near the door where Shikamaru stood. "I really feel like I'm interrupting something," he said clearing his throat with a smirk on his face.

"Nonsense," Sasuke said, standing and carefully sliding Sakura to her feet, "Is everybody here? Jesus you could have made me know before you all barged into my house."

"We would but we have a-"

There was a loud screech from down the hall and wailing. Lots of thunderous wailing. Sasuke was out of the room instantly making his way to his living room where Hinata was on her knees on his floor, her eyes running blood, fingers white knuckling his carpet. Neji was next to her as she gasped, breathing heavily but it was loud, louder than humanly possibly coming from deep within her throat.

He felt a stone drop in his chest. "Don't tell me-"

"It's starting," Neji said, "Her change is starting."

Smoke blared from Hinata's nostrils with a vengeance, her entire body shaking. Sasuke already knew why they brought her here. They couldn't have the council knowing that Hinata the seer was changing like the rest. She was supposed to get married to Neji. She was valuable and they would want to test her. With enough time, they could get any kind of information from her that they wanted.

Neji's hand wrapped around her shoulders, steam rising from where in contact. Hinata was cold blooded, freezing even. She wasn't supposed to change. Out of everyone she was the one that seemed the most impossible. Her back arched her blank eyes to the ceiling as the blood gushed from her eyes. Her body twisted and Sasuke could hear the breaking of her bones. She was silent for a long time before she started screaming again.

"What's happening to her?" Sakura asked staring at her wide eyed.

"Trouble." He said his mind racing.

Sakura slowly started making her way over to Hinata. He wanted to stop her, he didn't think she should get close but he had to get into action. How was he supposed to hide _this _of all things? He hissed his teeth and stared at Naruto and Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru you need to drop another barrier around the house. No feelers in and nothing that's inside should get out. Now. Naruto, I don't know who could be watching but you need to make sure that nobody is. This cannot under any circumstance reach anyone that is not in this house right now or we're in trouble. Go." He commanded.

"You got it." They said in unison leaving his sight.

She roared, loud enough to shake the house her body writing. All her bones were snapping Sasuke could only imagine how much that hurt her. He however, did not care about how Hinata was feeling.

"Neji, come." He ordered. "We need to do this quickly." He said grasping Sakura's hand and pulling her away.

"I dreamt about this," She whispered staring at Hinata transfixed. "I dreamt about this."

Sasuke flicked his fingers, pushing all the furniture aside, the sound of Hinata's scream scorching and burning his ears. It was driving him up the wall and not in a good way. Sasuke heaved in a deep breath and flexed his back. For fucks sake he still didn't have a goddamn shirt on. He left the living room to go into his office where he pulled out two veils from a cabinet.

He threw one to Neji. Sasuke folded his arms and watched Neji pour a circle around Hinata. Sasuke glanced at Sakura.

"We're making this move faster and take the energy out as it comes. She's in so much pain because the change that's happening releases a lot of power which has nowhere to go so it dives right back inside of her." He explained.

Neji bent down and pressed his palm against one part of the circle. It lit up with gray light before dimming, the ring of the circle glowing. Sasuke moved to draw the next circle. He pressed his palm against the ring which flared up in fire instead of white light before dimming, leaving the rim of the circle to glow red.

Hinata's gut wrenching screams dimmed. What seemed like smoke or essence left her body, being sucking in by the circles around her. She was already lying down, her bones snapping one by one. The sound was guttural and Sasuke had heard it many times before. Transitioning into a dragon wasn't something easy. He knew how it worked. The change was gradual with a phase like this marking the ending of each transition piece. He'd never seen it happen to a woman –it was never supposed to- so he didn't know what to expect.

"What's going to happen to her?"

"I have no idea." He said. "Neji."

"Right," He nodded stepping away from the circles reluctantly. "I probably shouldn't be here with her."

Sasuke gestured his head to the door. "Help Shikamaru. Go."

He nodded, his white eyes glancing at Hinata reluctantly. He nodded, his brown long hair moving with him before he left the room. Sasuke sighed.

"And I play babysitting duty." He dragged his hand over his face.

He knew this was probably the safest place to take her but today he had woken up with such peace inside of him. Such content with his girlfriend and his silent house. Now all he had in his ears was Hinata's constant wailing. Not as loud but still loud enough to damage his very ear drums. He knew they would come with chaos, his Knights always did. Now he had to worry about Hinata's transition and the last stage that Sakura still hadn't gone through. He hadn't forgotten about that. His soul was supposed to be making a ruckus but it was still dormant which could mean a shit load of things were wrong. He didn't bring it up because he didn't want to worry her but he knew something could be wrong. He knew that was probably due to the Soul Passing he'd done on her the other day probably damaged her own soul.

He didn't need this. Not today. Maybe tomorrow but not today. He had reports to write. He had a banquet to find a tux for. Mediocre things like that he wanted to worry about today. Not this. Just not this.

He sat down on the floor and Sakura slid down to the ground next to him, her body heat radiating to him. She rested her head on his shoulder. He wondered if Hinata's noise wasn't hurting her human ears.

"You don't have to stay, I know she's loud." Sasuke said.

"You get so used to your own screams you start to forget that other people can scream too." She whispered her voice low and hidden under Hinata's noise. "Sasuke, I dreamt about this. I'm sure of it. It's like déjà vu."

Before he could say anything she rose to her feet. She was careful and deliberate as she started walking over to Hinata's now disfigured body. He sat there and just watched her. All legs and walk, all hair and skin and voice and human and beautiful. She was getting pretty close but she seemed so confident with each step she took that he didn't stop her.

She was in the circle just looking down at Hinata's writhing body. Sakura knelt down.

"Sakura don't touch her,"

But her hand was already on Hinata's face. "It's okay," Sakura whispered to Hinata in a voice that was so compassionate. "Hinata, it's okay." Sakura sat down and pulled Hinata until she had her arms wrapped around her limp and hot body. "It's okay," she promised.

And then Hinata was silent. Sakura looked up to have her eyes locked with Sasuke's. He was full of awe as he stared at her. The blood ran from Hinata's eyes staining and burning into her skin, her body moving only slightly now with the pain that seared through her. Calmer. How could the touch of one simple human girl do something like that? Not even the touch of Neji –one of her own could do that. He'd never seen anything like that.

"Can I stay?"

All he could do was nod.

_**There it is guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are prepared for all that is to come! We're moving pretty quickly here so I hope you guys can keep up and put all the pieces together! HAVE A GREAT WEEK! **_

_**Much Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	48. Chapter 48

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! I feel like this chapter wasn't… as detailed as it should be and that it's lacking you know? I hope you guys are okay with it and that you enjoy this chapter because I'm really unsure of it. How you guys react to this chapter really depicts how you'll react to a lot of things coming in the future, both plot and grammar wise so… encouragements etc would really be wonderful. **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Eight]**

Sakura gasped, her head hovering above the toilet, struggling to keep her hair out of the way as more blood sputtered out of her mouth. Her insides knotted and cramped painfully, her lungs acting more like blocks than lungs.

_Why does this keep happening?! _Sakura screamed in her head. She had no food in her stomach but she kept blanching, a fire sensation in her body that kept chucking more blood out. The metallic flavor filled her mouth, the smell going up into her nose.

_Your body is… you know what's happening. _Her inner said lulling around in Sakura's head.

This was the third time. Third time on the third day. The pain was excruciating and it was so very difficult to stay calm. She was trying her hardest not to tell Sasuke what was happening. She knew he couldn't fix it and he would only blame himself. She could feel it. She could feel it in her lungs and throat, in her chest and joints, in her sides and stomach…her body was fading.

_Can't you do something? _Sakura asked her hands shaking as she dragged her hand over her mouth before trying to flush the toilet. It took four tries before she could flush it. She couldn't breathe, her insides sloshing like there was water inside of her. She felt like she was drowning.

_What do you think I'm doing? It's your soul Sakura…there are too many of us here and not enough space…your soul is under pressure and its breaking down… _

_I- _

_Get your pump! _Her inner shouted but Sakura couldn't move. Her muscles were tight and rigid as if they were cemented in place. Horror started to take her, the calm she had inside of her slowly turning into fear.

_Help me _Sakura pleaded.

_I am helping you! _

Her muscles ached and were stiff as she wheezed crawling to the sink to open the cabinet underneath it. Sakura kept her pumps in different places. There was one in her room, one in her bag and one in the cabinet. She took a pump but she could feel her lungs closing down, the pain unbelievable as she drowned from the inside out.

She leaned back exhausted from vomiting up blood and stayed there. She had to stay calm. She listened to her inner talk endlessly like she always did when things like this happened. Sakura had no idea how long it took or how long she was on the floor in her bathroom but soon enough air started coming in. it was slow at first as if the air had to trudge through obstacles and squeeze through a small space into her lungs.

She heaved in air and opened her eyes. What a way to start her morning.

_I'm going to die soon aren't I? This isn't asthma…. _Sakura said. _Right? That's why Tsunade can't fix this…_

_Yes…_ her inner trailed. _But you're not going to die. I'm not going to let you die. I promise. _

Sakura made a wet and sticky laugh, the taste of her own blood bitter in her mouth. She didn't say anything as she grabbed the edge of the sink and pulled herself to her feet. She washed out her mouth the water coming out redder than she thought possible. Her throat felt hoarse and all she wanted was her boyfriend. It was so hard to guard herself against him with how in tuned with her he was.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face. She felt dizzy with her body weak but she shrugged it off. She had a day to get on with. Dragging her feet she came out of her bathroom and slipped into her thick robe before she made her way downstairs. Rin was in her nightgown making some coffee. Sakura waved.

"Morning," She said.

Rin laughed. "Well you look like a truck ran over you. How about some orange juice?"

Sakura nodded her head numbly flapping into one of the couches in the living room. Rin's black hair was a mess atop of her head and she was still dressed in her silk nightgown. A pen was stuck in the haphazard mess on her head. She handed Sakura a cup of cold orange juice.

"I'm thinking about it you know. I mean, what you said." Sakura blurted before she changed her mind on talking about this after vomiting her insides.

Rin sat in the couch across from Sakura. She didn't even touch her coffee but instead placed it on the coffee table in front of her. She leaned back in the couch and stared at Sakura. Yes, this was an important conversation. She knew that.

Sakura yawned and stretched. The snow had finally started turning the world into ice and white. Even though they had people cleaning the roads, some roads were piled high with snow and out of use. She wanted to go and play in the snow but she knew that was probably a death sentence for her. The blinds were drawn and she could see outside from the patio screen door, the world awash with winter wonderland. She slumped after yawning.

"You're considering it?" Rin asked carefully.

Sakura nodded. "I am,"

She hadn't told anyone about this not even Sasuke though she knew she had to. She knew what everyone was going to say to her. Hell Ino had said it to her already. They wouldn't really understand her or what was going on. She knew she didn't come all this way just to go back the way she came but this meant a lot to her and she felt like she had to see for herself.

She knew Sasuke wouldn't agree to this, worse with the banquet just barely a week away from now and with his ex girlfriend all over the place. That –his ex- was a whole different category of problems all by itself. She knew he wouldn't want her to go more so now that this was their first holiday and they were getting the chance to spend it together. She couldn't really think of anywhere else to be besides with him but she had to do this.

"I mean, there is no rush on this Sakura and no one is saying you have to go. It isn't as if you're going there to stay or anything."

"I know that but what if he doesn't want to see me? What if he doesn't even want to talk to me?" she worried.

Rin sighed and leaned forward. "Then he just doesn't want to talk to you or see you. You won't know for sure and for certain until you see him. There really isn't anything he can do to you that he hasn't already done. There isn't anything he can say to you that he hasn't already made you think over the years. But like I said, no one is forcing you to do this. You don't have to go anywhere. You can simply call him. Start off small."

Rin pushed herself from the couch and with her feet dragging made her way to the kitchen. Sakura knew though that didn't mean the conversation was over.

"Have you told Sasuke and Ino about this?" Rin asked.

Sakura squirmed in her seat. She hadn't. "Not yet,"

"And why haven't you?" Rin demanded. Sakura looked up to find Rin near the steps, hands on her hips staring at her. "We've been working on this for a long time. Why haven't you told them? Don't you think you could use their insight and opinions on this? Ino especially, seeing as she's been through the rough and smooth with you so far?"

"Ino and I aren't really…talking right now and Sasuke wouldn't understand."

"How would you know that he wouldn't understand if you haven't talked to him about it to find out?" She countered.

"Aunt Rin-"

"Riiiiiight," Rin said laughing and turning. "Not my business you don't have to tell me twice. I'm just saying, secrets never help relationships especially the kind that you seem to want to keep. Would be hell if they found out on their own now wouldn't it?"

"They won't."

"Well Sakura, I didn't know you could see the future." Rin sang idly turning on the stove as she placed a skillet on top, getting ready to make breakfast.

Sakura tried not to smile as Rin guilt tripped her. They wouldn't understand and Sasuke wouldn't agree to it. What was the point of telling them if they were only going to shoot her down? Atona came down into the living room with her hair a mess on top of her head, dragging her feet.

"Morning," She croaked walking up the few steps into the kitchen.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Rin asked glancing at Atona from the stove.

Atona poured herself coffee from the coffee maker and shrugged. "Obviously too early for me to be up right now. I'm having the worst headache of my life," she mumbled.

"It's almost nine in the morning. No one told you to go and party."

"Is it?" She asked, her eyes barely open. "Sakura, why didn't you come?" She asked as she sat down in the couch with her coffee and turned on the remote.

"I don't really do parties and I was really tired. I just wanted to sleep after that last exam."

_That and we've never been invited. _Her inner supplied.

Sakura ignored her.

Atona glanced at her before squinting her eyes. "Don't tell me you've never been to a party before." She laughed boisterously. "Are you for real right now?"

"…."

"Are you kidding me? You've never been to a party? Why the hell not?"

"I just haven't."

Atona took a sip of her coffee. "I'm going out again later today; you can come with us if you want. I could be your chaperone; you'd be in good hands." She winked devilishly.

"I uh I-"

"Alright Atona, stop asking Sakura to step out of her comfort zone. Sakura, Sasuke will be here soon, shouldn't you get –"

The door bell rang. Everyone looked at each other and Sakura glanced at the clock. She felt her heart stop. He's early. Sakura pushed herself up from the couch but Rin shuffled down to her.

"I have work today but whenever you'd like to go all you have to do is say the word." She reassured.

"Go where?" Atona asked looking up at them.

"None of your business," Rin hushed, "don't you have a hangover to fix?" she demanded pushing Sakura in the direction of the door.

She felt self conscious having just woken up in such a horrible way because she knew it would show on her face. She knew he'd seen her in worse state but she'd told him she would have been up and ready by the time he came over. She opened the door and he was standing there, hands in his skinny jeans staring blankly at the door.

His face seemed to light up only a little as he rocked on his heels. The white V-neck clung to his wonderfully lean, tall and muscular frame. His hair was tasseled on his head, his face crisp and cleaned. He stared down at her and she felt her heart drop. She was in trouble.

"What is it?" she asked quickly, suddenly nervous.

He ran his tongue over his upper teeth- a deviously cryptic and erotic action all at once. That was always the sign that he was pissed and had his stubborn hat on. "Guess how long I've been standing outside your door planning to ring that doorbell." He said flatly.

"What?" she asked confused.

"Just guess,"

"Um…I don't know maybe a minute?"

"No." he said. "I've been standing in front of your door for twenty minutes. You'd be surprised at what I can hear in twenty minutes," he said aimlessly, stepping around her to enter the house.

Sakura heaved in a deep breath –which caused a sharp pain in the left side of her chest- and closed the door. She was in trouble and she knew it. She followed him into the living room. Sasuke hugged Rin and complemented her on how much she was glowing so early in the morning without even a dab of makeup. He glanced at Atona. She said nothing. Neither did he.

Sakura led him upstairs, guilt riding her but Sasuke was silent. He opened her room door and let her go in before stepping in and closing the door.

"I was going to-"

He held his hand up silencing her instantly. "We're not talking about it." he said bluntly. "You didn't bring it up and I'm assuming you weren't going to until it was too late for me to say anything. So do you know how this is going to go?" he inquired sitting in her computer chair.

She shifted her head down in submission. "How?" she squeaked.

"We'll do it your way and let's see where that gets you."

She sat down. "What does that mean?"

"It means you need to get ready. You don't want to be late to your appointment at the hospital and we have things to do." He said. "Right?"

"Sasuke-"

He tapped his watch. "Start getting ready." He said. "We've got things to do."

She stood inside her bathroom for a while wondering if she should say something then she felt it, wiggling in her stomach a different kind of feeling than this morning. She thought of him that in his shirtless glory, his tattoos rolling with his back as he knelt down to form that ring of fire. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was the one most incredible and beautiful thing to have ever happened to her. She thought of him finding her no matter where she was or what she was going through and suddenly she felt like shit.

They rode to the hospital in silence. He didn't say things to her that he didn't mean and if he didn't want her to bring it up she knew it was best that she didn't.

He told her he'd be waiting outside in the parking lot for her. He had calls to make and she knew that he wanted a moment. He could hide it but not that well. He was pissed and he didn't want to be around her after realizing the extent of which she was hiding. He wouldn't understand. No one would understand why she had to do this, what she was trying to achieve. She had the urge to touch him and hold his face but she didn't. Instead she just nodded and went inside.

She did her checkups, she let them draw their blood and she spent her time babbling with Clare as she stood there with her. She told Tsunade about her chest pains and she promised that her scans which were due next week would reveal everything.

"I would do it today," Tsunade said, "But the schedule is booked around the clock for the other patients. We can't just cancel their appointments-"

"No, no I understand." Sakura said quickly and that was the truth, she did. "I know I'm not the only sick person in the world I was just telling you. Sasuke said I should. I don't mind waiting until it's my turn."

Tsunade ruffled Sakura's hair. She smiled. Sakura looked up to this woman on a level many people would never understand. Talk a woman who loved deeply, loved hard and was tough.

"Alright, I'm done with you for the day. Get on out of here. Remember, keep warm." She said before pointing at Clare seriously. "And you know where you should be in the next ten minutes." She warned.

Clare nodded and smiled. "I do."

She was slimmer than when Sakura had met her before and she was in a hospital gown, a bandage over the back of her left and right hand and a patch at her inner elbow. Her gray eyes were still scorching beautiful to look at and her laugh still held so much weight it was impossible to deny how incredible she was. She'd been admitted again last week. It was something she didn't want to talk about.

"Where's Doshite?" Sakura asked the second Tsunade was out the door.

Clare shrugged her gray eyes suddenly dim. "I told him not to come in today." She said simply. "After they put me on this stuff I'm not going to be much company. I don't want him to take anything harder than he already is." She said.

"He should be here." Sakura insisted. "I know you want him here."

"There is a very good chance I'll be dead by the end of winter. I want him here but it'll be unpleasant." She sat down on the bed wincing. "You know what I mean." She gave Sakura a hard look. "You've had that cough for a long time and you know what could be happening to you but I bet you haven't said anything to your boyfriend."

Sakura nodded. "He can't do anything about it."

"Neither can Doshite. I don't want him seeing things he can't change when they're like this." Her eyes watered and Sakura held her hand.

There was a knock on the door. Sakura looked up to see Sasuke standing there, hands crossed over his chest. He sighed and rolled his eyes. It wounded her but she almost smiled at his childishways sometimes.

"I'll give you a minute." He said turning away from the door.

Clare smiled. "I like him," she said, "he looks at you the way I look at Doshite. You know that? I should go." She pushed herself from the bed.

They hugged and Sakura held on to her longer than she had to. She held Clare's face in her hands. "Don't be a bummer. Call him; I'm sure he wants to be here." Sakura kissed her on the cheek. "Next time right?"

Clare nodded. "Right." She agreed.

They walked out of the room together and headed in different directions. Sasuke fell in step with her silently as they headed out and into the parking lot. She felt guilty and this weight weighing down on her shoulders but she didn't know what to really say to him.

"I didn't mean to interrupt." Sasuke said opening the car door for her. "We're already late."

Sakura got into the car without qualms. "Right we're going shopping." She said.

"No not shopping." He corrected pulling out of the hospital. "You're going to go to a fitting. Big difference. We're not shopping for anything, everything is already there."

"We're late?"

"I want to get you there before Karin or anyone else barges in. Krystal is pretty busy. If you're too late she won't wait." He said pressing the gas. "Have you spoken to Ino?" he asked.

Sakura sighed heavily. "I tried. She answered but it was just so…awkward." She stuttered. "I mean, I didn't know how to overcome it this time you know?"

"Not particularly." He replied. "I don't know how girl squabble goes."

"Haven't you and your-"

"No. We've disagreed, Naruto and I have had dangerous conversation but we've never _stopped_ talking. There was a time when he was gone for around five years and I didn't hear from him but we have never consensually stopped speaking. We men don't do things passive aggressively. If we have a problem we deal with it then and there. I don't like dragging things out. Which is what you need to do. I don't know what has you waiting this long."

"Every time I try to talk to her I don't know what to say."

"She's already in this. You can't protect her." Sasuke said idly. "Talking to her or not doesn't change that."

He was right. Sasuke usually was even when she hated it she couldn't deny that he was talking the truth. Ino had been dealing with her for so long she didn't want to make things harder than it had to be. She didn't want Ino to be neck deep in this like she was, she didn't want her to be unable to get up and get the hell out if she wanted to. She didn't want Ino to be stuck in this if something bad happened.

They arrived at the Uchiha Mansion which swarmed with people. All the parking spaces were full with people in the pools, walking around the compound, playing tennis and all sorts of things. Sasuke drove around the road all the way to the back and into the underground parking lot –something Sakura didn't even know they had. Sakura didn't want anyone to see her, that was the last thing she wanted and he made sure of that. People were everywhere; she could hear them through the walls and see them through the windows. She'd never seen that many people congested in a space that wasn't public like school or a train station or something.

Sakura couldn't help but think about the conversation she had with Sasuke as she ended up standing in this massive changing room with Krystal in a store Sakura had never been in. Granted she hadn't been in many stores before. Sasuke was right. Ino was in this no matter what even if Sakura didn't want her to be. She couldn't protect Ino and that's all she'd been trying to do. She was keeping things out and away because she didn't want Ino to get the full blow when things went south.

"Damnit! I put it somewhere around here," Krystal muttered.

She was in a long cotton skirt near her ankles and a blouse that stopped just before her navel. Her hands were decked in bangles with her feet decked with ankle bracelets and she was barefoot. Her hair was knotted messily above her head which fitted her. Her skin glowed but there were bags under her eyes.

"I just had it. If you were just right on time." she groaned frustrated searching through a rack that only had labeled hangers on them. "HA! Here it is." She took off the hanger and flashed it. The dress appeared like a lighted match. "Sasuke always wears black and your hair is pink so I thought this would be perfect."

The dress was a one strapped black dress. The bust was covered in lace with a long sleeve on the right where the strap was. Sakura stared at it. The dress was gorgeous, the lace beautiful over the bust. It was simple but the black was so dark it hypnotized her almost.

Sakura took the dress and went into one of the changing rooms. She slipped into it. The right sleeve that was see-through lace clung to her arm but the bust was loose. Unfortunately being terminally ill meant unpredictable weight changes and she had lost some weight. She walked out and Krystal stared at her.

"I like it," Krystal said, "But I may have overestimated some things a bit. Can you feel it?"

Sakura nodded. "I can." She can agreed as the door open to reveal Mikoto.

She was just such a beautiful woman and she was dressed in a long red Kimono. Her hair was pinned up and she took Sakura's breath away.

"Sorry to interrupt." She apologized. "Wow I like that dress."

"It needs something." Krystal objected.

"Of course it does her arm is swimming in that thing." Mikoto said coming closer.

She observed Sakura from head to toe. Sakura flushed and looked down unable to hold the woman's gaze as she scrutinized her quickly. She flicked her finger and the bust tightened and dipped so cleavage could show. With another flick the front of the dress was shortened to the middle of Sakura's thighs with the back reaming long.

"Hermmmm…" Mikoto muttered. "What color tie is Sasuke wearing?"

"Black."

"Oh heavens no. That's out of the question. Give him silver." She corrected.

"Then we can add a litte-"

"Yes yes I was just thinking the same thing." Mikoto agreed hand to her chin. "How about we put it-"

"No no that just won't do."

"Right right. Then where? What about around the top there"

"It'll be too much I mean with the lace and everything.'

"It needs _something _and we have to put it _somewhere." _Mikoto said staring Sakura down.

"How about just the rim there?" Krystal asked.

"Hmm do that and let's see."

Krystal flicked her own hand muttering but Sakura didn't feel anything. She looked down to see silver around the hem of the dress.

"Ugh," Krystal said, "Girl no that just ruins the whole damn thing."

"How about just the back? A lot is going on in the front what with the lace arm and short front and sticking to her frame and the breast. The back though, it's just long and that's it. It could use something more."

Krystal went behind her and soon there were snowflakes vanishing into the hem of her dress. Sakura stood there awkwardly. She didn't know how it looked on her and she wasn't sure she wanted to show so much of her skin but she didn't dare object. She didn't want to speak out against Mikoto's wishes.

"Can I see it?" She whispered.

"Ha! Of course not." Krystal laughed. "You're not supposed to but trust me you look gorgeous in the dress. Fantastic and your hair when you let that baby out, all eyes are going to be on you."

"It is fantastic." Mikoto agreed. "You can trust our judgment darling, I have to make sure you look good on my sons arm." She smiled taking Krystal's hand. "I didn't however come to supervise. I came to borrow this peach for a minute. Sakura why don't you change and wait outside? We'll be right back."

"And the dress?"

"Just hang it on the hanger then it'll disappear and then put it on the rack. I'll be right back and there aren't any mirrors in here so you can't see yourself even if you wanted to." Krystal said as they shuffled out.

Sakura did what she was told and went to change. She wondered what Sasuke was doing and figured he was fitting a tux or something. She didn't want to admit it but she was having a lot of fun doing this and trying on such a pretty dress.

She had to admit it would have been more fun if she could have been doing it with Ino. She was here somewhere in this house too she just didn't know where. Shikamaru had wanted to bring her and Mikoto had agreed to let it happen this once. Everything was more fun with her around and Sakura felt this lurking nostalgia. She remembered just the other day when they both got ready for Halloween together. It had been much fun and Ino had been so awesome that day, making memories and taking pictures. She couldn't protect her friend but she couldn't help but try.

She hung the hanger on the rack and opened the door to the room only to see a violet eyed black haired girl standing in the door way. Great.

"Sakura," she smelled insanely and nauseatingly sweet, "what an unpleasant surprise." She popped her bubble gum and stepped forward.

Sakura stumbled back a little bit. "Keiako," she said as kindly as she could muster, "it's nice to see you too."

She cackled the sound like a gust of wind. What was she? "I sure bet it is. Heard you were having a fitting from a little birdie. I'm ever so curious to know what you'll be wearing," she said brushing past Sakura into the room.

She headed to the rack and plucked out the hanger. She flashed it. "Put that back." Sakura said. "You shouldn't be here."

"Says who? The fucking whore human girlfriend Sasuke likes? Please, I'm going to eat you for breakfast." She laughed. "What a hideous dress. This old dragged thing you'll be wearing? I almost feel sorry for you."

_Not this bullshit. _Sakura's inner raged. _I hate her guts. _

_Behave. _Sakura warned her inner.

_Sakura I don't think you understand how degenerated you are right now. Don't tell me to behave I have to protect you. _

_Calm down. _Sakura just wanted to get out of the room and wait for Mikoto and Krystal like she was told but she couldn't leave this girl in here. Krystal had made it clear no one was allowed inside without her permission unless they were on the council or had the right. This girl was not on the council and had not earned the right to be in here. She wasn't allowed.

"Put the dress back." Sakura repeated walking over to her as she stood there in her summer dress.

Who wears a summer dress in the middle of winter? _Do not back down from her. You might be human but don't you dare stand down, I don't care if she tries to rip your heart out and feed your souls to the wolves that howl at night. _Mikoto's words rang through her ears and while her heart was in her mouth Sakura snatched the hanger out of the girls fingers and shook it so the dress disappeared.

"I said put it back." Sakura repeated placing the hanger back on the rack. "You're not even supposed to be in here touching people's things." She scolded ignoring the girl's insults (She had to be the bigger person).

Keiako's eyes turned to slits and with a swift move she hit the rack so hard it turned over grabbing Sakura's hanger an snapping it in half. She threw the pieces dismissively aside.

"Who the fuck do you think you are to talk to me like that?" her voice was spitting venom in a way that could seduce a man, her sweet scent overwhelming the room.

Sakura backed up a little but Keiako was already towering over her death in her eyes. "As a matter of fact what the fuck are you doing with Sasuke? Do you think you have something over me?" her fingers latched around Sakura's throat in a vice grip. "I mean really I can do whatever I want who are you to tell me otherwise?"

_No! _Sakura's inner growled.

Sakura's hand clawed at Keiako as she held Sakura by the throat, her feet dangling off the ground. "Who the fuck are you? Talking to me with your aging flesh and dirty fucking soul like you've earned a spot here. I _deserve _a place in his life! You're here trying on dresses! _Who do you think you are!?" _she barked.

"Let." Sakura wheezed. "Me. Go." She couldn't breathe anymore her eyes rolling over in her head, her hands and legs moving wildly.

"I'm going to kill you and you know what?" she laughed. "He won't even miss you." She sneered.

_Let me go!_ Sakura screamed in her head fighting with all her strength. The girl gripped her throat tighter and it felt like her head was going to explode and her lungs were going to be crushed. Sakura felt that drowning sensation again as if she was under water.

"What can you do about it huh? What are you fucking going to do with your weak little self? Where is he to come and save you? Not here now is he."

Sakura's back slammed against something hard. She couldn't fight it with no air coming in.

_Let me go._ Sakura thought straining against the darkness that loomed above her trying to grab her entire body. Keiako's mouth was wide open as if she was sucking something out of her. Sakura felt something tug inside of her deep within her existence. It pulsed soundly, resonating throughout her entire body making her curl and coil the feeling absolutely alien. It was being pulled out of her like a piece of string from the end of cloth. It hurt, her neck burning from unknown fire as inside of her throbbed. What Keiako doing to her?

It felt like her fingers were made of acid burning through her neck in this slow, deliberate and painful kind of way. The pain like the tearing of her flesh from her bones. Sakura would have screamed but she couldn't breathe and she couldn't see, the pressure building and building inside of her with her lugs sloshing and drowning themselves.

_Do something. _Sakura said to her inner even her conscious voice was far away. She was going to die and she was going to die right now. She felt everything in her slip away. It all slipped so fast and so hard Sakura couldn't even fight anymore. Her body went limp.

_Sakura! _Her inner screamed.

"_**Let her go!" **_ The alien voice ripped from Sakura's throat her eyes shooting open to reveal luminescent neon green and pink ones. She gripped Keiako's hand with a vengeance snapping her wrist like she was stepping on a twig.

Keiako dropped Sakura's body with a scream her eyes wide in absolute shock, Sakura's hair so pink it could drip to the floor. Her eyes were wild and ferocious, bright and stunning in their colors.

She grabbed Keiako by the hair and with a growl slammed her into the floor her body sinking right into it. Her fist came down so fast it was by a miracle Keiako missed it. Sakura's fist caused the rumble of an earthquake the ground splitting away cleanly. Sakura hissed as power hot like fire radiated from her cracking the walls.

"What the hell!?" Keiako screamed rushing for the door.

Sakura grabbed her snapping her arms at the elbow heaving heavily. _**"Don't you ever put your hands on her again!" **_she barked territorially. _**"I am sick and tired!" **_She screamed at the top of her lungs denting Keiako's head into the floor viciously.

Sakura straddled Keiako her pink lethal hair flying around her. She gripped the girl's throat, steam rising from the contact as she burned into Keiako's neck.

"_**Everybody always wants to pick on her. Sasuke is not yours. Don't ever fucking touch her. I'm going to rip your fucking throat out. I'm going to kill you." **_She vowed.

"Sakura!" the doors banged open and her head snapped up to see Sasuke, Mikoto and Krystal rushing in. His shirt and cufflinks were loose, a green tie dangling around his shoulders with his pants buckle lose. Everyone skidded to a halt at the sight of her.

Another guttural sound came from Sakura's lips as she released Keiako's neck pushing the woman aside harshly. She stood staring at them with eyes hostile and unlike anything Sasuke had ever seen.

"Good God," Sasuke muttered wide eyed.

Keiako rolled screaming and wheezing from the pain that had burnt itself into her neck but it was as if no one heard her. All too quickly everything went blank and Sakura's body headed to the floor.

~O~

Everyone wanted answers but he couldn't really provide them all. He didn't know himself. Sasuke hovered over Sakura as she lay like sleeping beauty on the couch in the room with her hair fanned out around her. Ino had burst in only a couple minutes ago with Shikamaru at her heels. Her hair was a mess, her eyes bloodshot –from what he did not know- and Hinata holding her hand.

"How could that have happened?" Hinata whispered peering down at Sakura.

Sasuke hadn't yet found the best answer to that question. The obvious was that her body was weakening. The weaker it got the stronger the chance that this soul inside of her could possess her body fully. He didn't know what to think. He touched her face gently. Her hair was its same and usual pink with Keiako's finger prints around her neck. Sasuke's muscles constricted as he resisted the urge to go and tear her body to shreds.

"Where is she?" Sasuke demanded against his better judgment.

A hand warmer than the inside of the Earth touched his shoulder. "Sasuke honey, you shouldn't be thinking about th-"

He turned to glare at her. "Where is she?"

His mother sighed. "I don't know where Krystal brought her. I'll deal with her personally. You are not allowed to go near her. Leave her to me." She warned her eyes hard and serious.

Sasuke looked away. Sakura was so still. She hadn't moved since she had passed out when he'd seen her. Her breathing was even and smooth not even her fingers twitched. He touched her neck with heartbreaking tenderness, the tips of his finger feeling the heat of her skin. He couldn't let someone do this to her. Rage built up again underneath him.

His mother knelt down next to him. She patted his arm. "Alright, you can't just stay here and stare at her." she whispered handing him a cloth and a bottle. "Be gentle and take care of the marks around her neck." She patted his back and stood.

"They still won't go away at least for another day or two." He said observing them. They had been burnt into her neck, sucking the force out of her skin.

"Everyone except Sasuke get back to your fitting this instant." She commanded. Everyone seemed reluctant and her voice thundered through the room like a roar. "You can all come back when _and only _when your fittings are done! I said move!" she shouted clapping her hands.

When the room was empty Mikoto took a seat near the head on the couch where Sakura's head lay. She looked down at the girl with warmth Sasuke had never seen her look at any of the women he'd ever brought to her. He knew his mother liked her that much was obvious but he hadn't thought this much. She held out her hand.

"Come let me do it." She said softly taking the cloth and bottle from his hands gently. "She doesn't deserve this. I know and I am terribly sorry this happened Sasuke." She began patting the dampened cloth along Sakura's tender neck. "What is she?"

"I don't know." He answered.

"Better question Sasuke who is she? Who is this Sakura and just what the hell possessed her?" her mother looked up at him her wide onyx eyes earnest.

The moment he told her news would reach his father within a matter of seconds and the entire council before he could take a full breath. He couldn't tell his mother but he also didn't want Sakura in this place any longer. He wanted to take her to his private home. He wanted her in his bed away from all this madness. His mind was reeling and he couldn't talk to anyone or discuss anything here.

"I don't know." He replied again.

His mother was gentle as she applied the clear liquid to Sakura's neck that now glistened. The imprints were harsh and ghastly. They looked as if they would fester and as if it was decaying all the skin around it in this black cracked mess. His hands balled into a fist. His mother sighed.

"You cannot be a murderer in the presence of this wounded girl." His mother hissed. "You would kill everyone if you had the chance. Nip that bloodlust right now." She warned.

He cracked his neck and stood. He rolled his black shirt sleeve up to his elbows. He buttoned his shirt and threw the green tie aside. He stood there and zipped up his pants and buckled his belt. He cracked his knuckles and shoved his hand in his pockets before he started pacing.

She was getting weaker but how? Why? Why now? What changed? Why did this Kavazwalian soul wait until so long before taking control of her? Why didn't it stay when it saw him? Why did it retreat back into Sakura? Was it just driven to protect her and stop her from dying? Had Keiako been unknowingly taking out piece of that soul instead and it retaliated? Sasuke had all these questions and no way to answer them.

"Sasuke," His mother said, "Please sit."

He sat. "Say what you have to say."

"Perhaps bringing her to the banquet isn't the best of ideas. She is mostly human after all and she can be killed. I don't know what's going on and I will not prey but know that these guests we have here are not our friends. They will take any chance they get to destroy us. Power is what they want and your happiest moment is your weakest." She warned.

"She's coming."

"Sasuke, think logically about this."

"I cannot leave her by herself with so many of them around."

"You're not thinking straight. You're merely saying that because of what has just happened. The closer you cling to her to more important to them she will seem to you. They will be with us until the end of January probably much longer she is not worth the risk. I like this girl and I am telling you it is best you leave her. Something terrible can happen."

"Nothing will happen to her. I am here to protect her."

"Yes but something terrible just happened to her. This very day and the banquet is not yet upon us," she countered.

He sighed. "Even if I did how long would I have to wait?" he inquired.

"Until things cool down, I suppose until summer. This gathering is going to be a very long and tedious one. One which we hope to have a stronger outcome and get everyone and everything on track. With her it's obvious you're at a disadvantage."

"No." he said shaking his head. "No that's not going to happen. Leaving her for any long period of time is out of the question."

"They are not our friends." Mikoto said in a hard tone. "These vixens and gluttonous creatures in our home are not our friends and we are not theirs. They will do whatever it takes to take us down and you know how they could take you down? This stupid girl right here and what happens then?" she asked.

"Mother-"

"Don't mother me! What happens when they rip her throat out and send it to your front door? What happens when they destroy you -one of the many pillars in this chaotic system? Do you think we'll stand after that? When you go down? If they can destroy you for even a second that's all the time they need. Your happiest moments are also you most vulnerable."

"She stays."

His mother nodded. "Make sure she doesn't make you do anything stupid or you will regret this decision because I will be forced to step in and I'm sure you won't like how I handle things. Well then if I were you I'd get her out of here at least for now. She's already fitted her dress. Take her home." She said rising from the couch. "I've a succubus to handle." She said leaving the room.

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. Of course there was more drama. There was always more drama wasn't there? Sakura was still asleep so he had no way of knowing what happened until she awoke. He pulled her into his arms and rose. He was taking her home and he was –even if his mother said no- going to deal with that bitch himself. She was going to wish she was dead.

_**There you go guys! I hope this chapter was long enough for you guys who like the long chapters! I hope Everyone has a great weekend and a great week!**_

_**PS: PLEASE submit questions in your reviews. This helps me to know what kind of information to put in the chapters most times so no one gets confused or left behind. If you have questions about the plot, the characters or scenes or things that don't seem to add up let me know. This really helps to better the writing and plot here. **_

_**My Love for All Of You Lasts Longer Than A Thousand Summers. **_

_**D.V**_


	49. Chapter 49

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! Y'all know what it is with this weekly update that I'm working on. We are moving along quite fast now wouldn't you say? Dive right in!**_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Forty Nine]**

"She was going to kill her." Hinata said.

Sakura nodded. She was tired of the questions now. She'd answered all of them and she still couldn't think straight. She'd already puked her guts out only moments before. Everyone was here and all she wanted to do was scream for everyone to get out and leave her alone. She wanted to be alone. Just this once.

"She would have." Sakura agreed calmly.

"Would you have just let her do it?" Naruto asked. "Would you have just let her kill Keiako?"

"I wasn't _letting _her do anything." Sakura retaliated. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Angry and frustrated. "Are we done?"

"No we are not done." Sasuke said walking into the room. He stood at the head of the table arms folded and peered down at her. "You haven't told us everything and I need to know what's going on if you expect to come to the banquet."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm not going." She said bluntly.

_Sakura no don't. _Her inner warned but she'd already gotten up. It felt like a supersonic shock through her chest. She gripped her chest and bent forward. He rushed to her side but she held her hand up. She didn't want him to touch her. As a matter of fact she didn't want anyone touching her. She shook her head and groaned.

"I'm fine." she said straightening. "I'm not going to the banquet so there is no need to really talk about anything else. You've asked me everything you could possibly ask and I've answered them."

"We should talk to her," Neji said.

"And how are you going to do that?" Sakura snapped. "Are you going to break all my bones again and prey her out of me? Just what really are you going to make me go through this time?" She brushed past Sasuke.

Everybody froze. Of course she'd never spoken like that before but she'd never had someone's crazy ex-girlfriend eat out piece of her already decapitated soul before either. She was angry. She was angry in a way she never thought she could ever be angry in her entire life. She was angry in a way that burnt the insides of her chest like it wanted to burst through her ribs and burn her skin right off her bones.

Her eyes felt like they were now wide open, her spirit done and broken and for what? For her body to be grounded up into dust over and over again for a life she wouldn't live long enough to experience? For him?She was already _dying _because and for him. Why would they put her through this too?

She felt his hand against her. Soft. "Sakura," his voice was steady, he didn't understand, "you have to come."

"I don't have to do anything."

_Sakura please _her inner begged, _I can't fix this if you don't stay still. _

His eyes darkened and his hold on her hand tightened. "Listen to me. This thing inside of you possessed you. You were out for only God knows how long and I need to know what's going on. I need to know why this is happening. It's never happened to you before. This Kavazwalian inside of you is dangerous."

"She saved my life." Sakura objected looking at him incredulously.

"She took complete control over your body."

"You know what." Sakura snapped ripping her hand from him. "Where were you? Where were you when your stupid psychotic ex-girlfriend was calling me a slut and whore and choking me to death? Huh? Where were you when she was taking out my soul out of my body and killing me?"

If she'd slapped him in his face he would have probably been less stunned by her outburst. Sakura glowered at him, the rage coursing through her. She hadn't done anything. She hadn't done anything wrong and she wasn't going to act like she had. She'd never met this girl and this girl came and saw Sakura here already in Sasuke's life. She hadn't done anything wrong to this girl and she wasn't going to convince herself that she had done something. She hadn't.

She'd been through hell and back more than once. She'd had her bones and body constantly broken and crushed to pieces for him and for them and for whatever other reason. None of this she had asked for it. She hadn't asked for anybody to come after her or try to kill her. She hadn't asked for any of this to happen to her and she couldn't handle another outside typhoon coming into her life. She already had enough people hating her, she already had enough things killing her and she could not keep her shit together anymore. It wasn't fair and it gutted her so deep.

Sakura's finger poked in Sasuke's chest as she stepped close to him. "You weren't there and she was. She saved my life when someone else from your life tried to kill me. She's the one keeping me together. Not you. Not anyone else in this stupid room! You have put me through so much shit and I _will not sit here and have anyone _judge me. Looking at me like I'm some kind of villain for almost killing the girl that tried to take down to my very soul from my body for a man who left her before I was even born. I will not let you judge the one person who was mad enough to protect me and make sure that nobody tried to hurt me. I don't care what anybody here thinks she should have killed her."

She was tired. She was sick and tired of taking all the beatings and the disrespect and everything from those in his life. She was sick and tired of being dragged through the dirt through and through only to get a hug and an _I'm sorry. _She was human and she had feelings. She was tired of having more things added to her nightmares, she was sick and tired of not being able to sleep at nights, sick and tired of being afraid of the dark and the demons she had inside her own conscious. She was going to die and she was sick and tired of this happening to her. She wanted to just be alone.

"Sakura I-"

"Get rid of her or we're going to have a fucking problem." She threatened.

_YOU NEEED TO STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! _

Sakura felt it inside and staggered back. She caught her breath and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Using the wall as a kind of rest Sakura found her way to the bed room and fell into the bed. Her breathing was slow and rugged, strained and deep.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. She was frustrated.

_Hey it's going to be okay. _Her inner soothed. _I can fix the damage she caused and you'll be back to normal. _

_You can't fix it. _Sakura said deadpanned. _It won't even make a difference. I can only stay for so long. There is only so much you can do. _

_That's the talk of a giver upper and we're not giving up. You're not going to die._

_Wouldn't you want that? _Sakura asked sighing. _Wouldn't you want me to die? If I do you get my body and you don't have to just sit in my mind all the time, hardly living. _

_I don't want you to die Sakura. You think I would want that? I only did that because I knew you were being hurt beyond physical level. I didn't mean to possess you; I didn't even know it would have been that easy. I didn't know. _

_You don't have to apologize. _Sakura soothed. _I'm not mad or anything. You could have stayed. _

_I would never do that to you. You're my friend. I grew up with you. I've been here all your life. Why would I want something like that to happen to you? I'll protect you no matter what it takes. I know you're mad about everything right now-_

_Why does it have to happen to me? _She turned on her side, the tears finally leaving her closed eyes. _Why does all of this have to happen to me? Even when I stand on my own two feet they still want to trample me. _

_I won't let them. Not anymore. I'm not letting anybody get away with doing that to you anymore. I don't care what it takes. I'll give you my strength if I have to._

Sakura smiled. _You're already doing that. You think I don't know? You're already doing that. Taking care of me has probably weakened you more than you will ever let on. It's okay… I just feel so tired. Inside and outside. _

There was a soft knock on the door. "Go. Away." Sakura said.

The silence was loud, seeping under the door to manifest itself inside of the room. "Can I come in?" His voice was soft and she could feel his emotions through the door.

"No,"

"Sakura-"

"Can't I have a minute? Just go away. I don't want to see anyone right now especially you."

The silence was heart wrenching. She could tell she'd just hurt him, she would be a fool to miss it. He'd probably never been rejected by someone he cared about. She sighed. She knew he was still out there and she knew he'd probably stay there until morning.

"You can't stay outside the door either Sasuke. Get away from the door."

"I don't want you to be alone." He whispered.

She thought of a child when she heard his voice and the desperation latched on to it. Like a baby refusing to let go of his mother's hand. It wrenched her heart somewhere but even that feeling made her more exhausted.

"Well in case you didn't know I'm not. I've got two people living in here." She said referring to herself. "So I'm fine. Just at least leave me until tomorrow. Go."

_You don't have to run him._

_You don't even like him. _Sakura retorted.

_Yes true I don't like him but he's not for me to like. You love him. Sakura I'm sure he's sorry that he wasn't there and he rushed as soon as he could. This isn't his fault, not this incident anyways. He doesn't control anyone. _

_This isn't just about her. It's about everything. The feather on the stack of cards that just makes everything crumble. He'll be fine. What was it like?_

_What was what like?_

_Possessing me. _

Her inner cringed. _Can we not talk about it? I didn't even know that was possible, I don't know how it happened. I didn't even know it could be that easy. I haven't tried since…since I just got here and I can hardly remember that. I was just….I was so angry. _

_I'm so tired…. _

_Sleep. I'll take care of you. You know I will._

_That's just the entire problem. I'm sick and tired of people taking care of me. _

Sakura closed her eyes that felt like lead on her face. She was exhausted, so exhausted she was restless. For a long time she just laid there alone in her thoughts. She knew what it was like to have her inner possess her. She remembered how it happened. It was like she was ripped away from a window, thrown into a four by four white walled room while the world turned to chaos around her.

She couldn't feel anything. All she felt was nothingness. She felt weightless and bodiless. She had felt like a shadow, a mere replica of her real self unable to control herself or even breathe. She felt small and rolled up, all the physicality's that made her human stripped from her. She felt small and alien while her inner protected her but the weightlessness made her feel whole. She'd felt safe in those four by four walls, locked away and protected.

_She was running like she never ran before. There was grass, mud and moss of the forest under her feet. She brushed past trees, shrubs and bushes as she sprinted. Her eyes scanned around hysterically. At first she didn't know why she was running or even where she was. The jungle was a mix of complete darkness, twilight zones and greens. Then she remembered everything. The memories came rushing back to her full blast and her purpose came with it- the reason why she was running. Where was he?_

_Her heart was racing faster and harder than it ever had her fear for his safety so strong she could barely convince herself to breathe. Her muscles burnt in objection to the sudden amount of strain she was putting on it. Leaves and branches brushed against her naked legs as she ran, brushing and scratching onto her arms but she couldn't stop. She had to find him. _

_He could be hurt. He could be lost in his own nightmare and darkness. She could only imagine how horrific this forest must be for him. She could only imagine the dead trees, the darkness, the dead bodies and the blood that composed what he was seeing. They both saw different things she remembered. What he saw was hell. Pure hell. She needed to find him but no matter how fast she ran or how hard she looked she couldn't see him. _

_She skidded to a halt, her heart hammering in her chest like it was about to give out on her. She took a deep breath and looked around. He was here but where? She screamed when she saw him. What had Sasuke done to them?! What had he done to her on that table? _

_She dashed over to him, vaguely sitting upright between some brightly green bushes. She scampered to him on her knees, her hands against his face. His eyes opened, barely and he smiled. _

"_I shouldn't have gotten so close to you." _

_Her eyes watered. "Shhh," she whispered kissing his cheeks, "I'm here now. I'm here."_

"_You shouldn't be." He took deep sullen breaths. "This is not supposed to happen. I'm not supposed to…."_

"_I know." Her thumb brushed against his cheeks, the tears pooling in his eyes. _

_Her free hand touched his chest. It was wet and she could see the blood on her fingers. He wasn't supposed to talk to her. He wasn't supposed to care about her. Their souls weren't supposed to become what they had become. They'd been ripped apart during the ceremony. Unintentionally but they had. They were never supposed to be close in the first place. Their worlds were never supposed to collide. _

"_I can fix it." Sakura insisted. _

_He shook his head, his hand falling on hers that held his cheek. "No, I'm not going to die." He assured her. The tears spilled over. "You have to go."_

"_No." she straddled him then, both her hands on either side of his face. "I am not leaving you here alone." _

"_Sakura please." Her name sounded like the best silk in the world coming to life to breathe into her skin. _

"_I am not leaving you." She insisted. "I can't go. Not yet." _

_She couldn't leave him here like this alone. Even though he wouldn't say it he wanted her to stay. He'd called her here someway somehow. She never thought she would ever end up here again. She never thought she'd ever see him again. He was torn from her and she felt like she'd been shot when it happened. She felt like her flesh was stripped from her bones when he was gone. Empty. She wouldn't let it happen again. She would not leave him. _

_His eyes were red like disks with the __Mangeky__ō__ inside of them. They were beautiful for her to behold. They were captivating. There was something real and raw in them. His unadulterated self. His true nature peeked through his eyes, staring right back at her and those demonic eyes loved her still. She could feel is coursing through her veins, pumping through her heart and into her muscles. She felt hypnotized. _

"_I can't go." She breathed out dazed. "Please don't make me."_

"_Don't…" he warned, his voice low. He was still wounded. _

_She looked down between them and watched the blood begin to vanish from his shirt. Her thumbs moved across his cheeks in the gentlest of gestures. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. _

"_Don't."_

"_I have to…" she kissed him. _

_Her mouth came to life instantaneously, their mouths tangling into one another heat slithering over her sweaty skin. His hand was hard with an iron grip that tightened around her waist. He held on to her like she was the only thing he'd ever known and ever wanted to know. The only thing he wanted. Even his own soul was in love with her. She'd never fell so deeply in love as she did then. _

Sakura's eyes shot open and her body flew forward from the bed. Her hands flew to her mouth, lips that now felt raw and rugged. Her hand gripped the sheets tightly, her breathing heavy and hard. She'd awoken with a start. She took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. An image of herself pressed against a wall as Keiako sucked the life out of her flashed through her mind and she felt queasy.

On the nightstand were her morning pills. He'd come into the room. She was sure of it and she sighed, shame coming down and resting on top of her. She'd snapped yesterday. She'd been a complete and utter bitch to him after all he'd done for her. Her cheeks reddened from embarrassment. She didn't think she could face him this morning. There was a rose next to her medication, bright red and full blown. The thorns were gone from it and she picked it up.

She took the glass of water and took her morning medication praying she didn't vomit and rose from the bed. The world spun around her for a little and she held on to the bed post. Strangely she felt a whole lot better than she had the previous day. She couldn't get her inner to surface and she knew she was tired.

She pulled the door open and looked both sides. She didn't see him as she had expected to. Sakura made her way to the kitchen and took out a container of food. She popped it into the microwave and ate an apple while it heated up. Her eyes hurt and her throat but she'd had worse. As she leaned against the counter, recounting the events she heard his footsteps.

She wasn't ready but he came into the kitchen anyways. That was the thing about him. He wasn't afraid to deal with any situation at hand. He stood a good distance from her and she looked down at her toes ashamed.

"Good morning,"

She nodded and cleared her throat. "Um…yeah…good morning."

The microwave beeped but before she could even move he'd already popped it open and placed the food into a plate. He titled his head in the direction of the dining table. She flushed scarlet but made her way to it. She sat down and he placed the food in front of her along with a glass of orange juice.

She started picking at her food, the butterflies clawing at her insides. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have said all those things I had said. I just wasn't myself…I don't…I don't really know what came over me."

"You don't have anything to apologize for. You're right." She looked up at him and he could hardly keep eye contact with her. "I should have been there and I wasn't. I shouldn't have put you in a position like that or even any of the positions I've put you in."

"You can't control it." Sakura said understandingly and it was true. He couldn't. "This isn't your fault."

He nodded. "It is. Let's put blame where blame is due. If it wasn't for me none of this would have ever happened to you. You're also right about the Kavazwalian inside of you. She saved your life when I couldn't and she's been there longer than I have. Keiako could have killed you and without her, she would have and I'm grateful for that."

_It's about time I got a little praise around here. _Her inner said weakly, her voice faint and lost in the sea of Sakura's other thoughts.

"She says thanks."

_Being humble about it huh? I like that approach too, makes me sound real mature. _

Sakura sighed. Her therapist told her that being honest with herself only counts for so much. The first step was owning up to her own feelings and not being ashamed of them but the other part was not being afraid to voice them when necessary. People can't understand unless you talk to them.

"I was just," she struggled to find the right words and instead settled for eating some vegetables and downing some orange juice. "I was just so mad at everything….at what happened. I hadn't done anything and then…"

"I know," he responded, "I know and I've been an insensitive asshole about this. We don't have to go to the banquet either. We can always find something else to do; I won't make you go if you don't want to. And Keiako is being taken care of. Personally."

She didn't know what to say as she stared down at her food and played with it a little. She started eating again but then she just lost it and broke down. Her sob came crashing into her like waves from a sea storm, tearing her apart and shattering everything in front of her. She'd been so scared. Keiako was going to kill her, the burning of her fingers like acid burning into her skin, pulling the strings that made her who she was right out of her.

She pushed the plate away from her unable to stomach the idea of eating anymore. She pushed her chair back and stood. He was standing in front of her and her brows knitted together. She loved him. Damn she loved him so much and it sure as hell hurt her to do so. She could see the pain stain all over his face, the hopelessness. She knew he didn't want this to happen to her. She knew he wished it didn't have to be this way, that she didn't have this role to play or that he couldn't protect her when that was his job. She knew it killed him not being able to do it- to protect her.

His arms wrapped around her tightly and she gripped his shirt. The sobs came rolling in making her entire tremble and shake. Everything that had ever happened to her flashed through her mind. From the first time she was writhing on the hall floors in complete pain, her bones breaking and snapping to just the other day when her chest was torn wide open. The sobs came harder, she couldn't stop them.

His head rested on her own, his hand running over her hair while his other held on to her tightly. "I love you," he kept saying, over and over again, his voice like a sing song in her ears. She forgot he could sing. She forgot a lot of things about him.

_I really love you too. _She wanted to say but she couldn't get the words out while she bawled in his arms. Nobody could possibly comprehend all that she'd gone through since she got here. Nobody could understand or even withstand all she'd gone through since she'd been _born. _Her own death weighing on her shoulders. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to go but she couldn't stop that either. She could feel herself dying from the inside. She'd be lucky if she ever made to end of senior year.

_**There you guys have it! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and can't wait for the rest. You all know I wish you guys the best weekend and week to come. Stay positive as best as you can, keep motivated. The only obstacle that can make us feel like we can't get anywhere is ourselves. Sometimes it takes late nights and early mornings, dropping of friends and even being out casts for us to reach where we want to go. Your dreams are just that –YOURS. CHIN UP! **_

_**Much Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	50. Chapter 50

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! We're sticking to this weekly thing guys as you can see! Thank you so much for your support. I mean CHAPTER FIFTY? Are we REALLY that far into this story?**_

_**SLIGHTLY IMPORTANT NOTE: In chapter SEVEN (7) I had Sakura say that her mother's hair was black and her father's hair was white. I'd like to just say that was an error on my part but from this chapter and previously, you must have realized that her mothers hair is BLONDE and her father's hair is a LIGHT/ DULL PINK. I'd have corrected it in chapter seven and in the other one where i made this mistake (chapter 37 where i said 'black hair' when it should have been blonde, that was a typo) but that seems a little cumbersome for me to do at this point in time. Forgive me for this error. **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty]**

He was standing behind her arms folded over his chest. He wasn't really pleased with the arrangement they'd agreed to. He was still fussing and huffing over it like he always did when he didn't get what he wanted.

"I do not agree with this you know." He said then and she laughed as she combed out her hair.

"Sasuke," she began putting her brush down, meeting his eyes through the mirror, "we _both _came to this agreement. Together. Me and you. As a couple. Do you remember that?"

"I'm not retarded of course I remember." He said. "I however don't agree with our agreement. I've changed my mind. I'm coming with you."

Sakura turned in the chair and sighed. "You can't come with me." She pouted resting her hands on his chest. "You have to go to this dinner remember? You've never missed it before and I don't want to be the reason that you do. And I don't want to go and Rin said today was the perfect day for us, it's her day off."

"It really isn't safe." He reasoned. "I don't mind coming with you."

"I know and I'd want you to come with me, you know that. You have to go to this dinner; I know how important it is. You're a Legeem Kapasula and with all that's going on, it would cause a lot of problems for you to be absent. I'm coming to the banquet tomorrow. Sasuke we talked about this." Sakura whined.

She didn't want to go the dinner. As a matter of fact she didn't want to go anywhere at all but he refused to go to the banquet without her and that she couldn't change his mind upon. Seeing as he didn't care if he'd cause more chaos in his absence, she couldn't help but agree to go. She knew Sasuke didn't care about consequences when it came to her and in that he was reckless.

She agreed to go to the banquet but she was not go to the annual dinner being held the night before or to the brunches and dinners etc that were going to be held afterwards in the coming month(s). That he just couldn't make her agree to go on. After everything that happened, fear paralyzed her at the sole thought of seeing any of those people again. Besides, Rin said today was a great day to go visit her dad across town. They would take the train since most of the roads were covered in snow and they'd be there in no time. She banged her head on his hard and muscled chest. She needed him to understand so she just kept banging her head against him and whining.

He chuckled. "Alright alright, I digress. Fine. Fine." He caved. His hands held the sides of her head and titled her head up.

She searched his very eyes with her own big ones, her hands holding tighter to the cotton of his shirt. She tipped on her toes and kissed him. "If so much as a hair on your head-"

"You don't even have to tell me. You're on it like white on rice. Rin will be with me. I'll be fine."

"The last time I thought that you almost got killed." He said blandly.

Her heart constricted with his. He hadn't forgiven himself for that. Just last night when she slept next to him her heart wouldn't stop racing with his. His body had bolted upright, sweat running down his face. He'd been dreaming about it, the nightmare of a feeling that had washed over him when he realized something was terribly wrong. The fear he had felt. The dread. She'd never realized how much it had affected him, how hard he was being on himself about it. It wasn't his fault. She knew that. He couldn't control anyone; he couldn't tell anyone what to do and even when he did, they didn't _have _to listen to him. Just like her he had no idea something like that would have ever happened.

She wished she could have taken back all she had said that day. The blame she'd put on him hadn't been fair and it had chipped away some piece of him. She was in-tuned to him. She could feel it when he was asleep, vulnerable to hurt that lurked inside of him, the scar left by her words. He'd never admit it but she could feel it from him- his doubt that he was what she needed. His doubt that he could protect her. The feeling of failing her. The feeling that she'd be better off without him.

"Hey hey hey," she said softly touching his face, "that wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for that. Stop it. I _will _be okay. Rin will be with me. He's human there isn't much he can do to me. Not anymore."

He sighed heavily. "I just…."

She smiled weakly and tipped on her toes. She kissed him with all the love that flooded her. She knew how much he hated showing her any kind of weakness or vulnerability. He was the leader, he was the strongest and he was a man.

"You are everything I could possibly need. I said it's not your fault and it isn't. You won't let anything happen to me. I'll be fine I promise."

She ran her fingers gently through his dark blue mane and his human eyes closed so lightly, falling into her gentle touch. His hair felt beautiful as it moved through her fingers. It was soft and smooth, light as air caressing her skin. It was beautiful texture, rich and brilliant.

"So are you going to drop me or what?" she asked grinning.

He rolled his eyes. "You just know how to get whatever you want from me." He said feigning offence. "I feel used."

She laughed and turned to grab a rubber band from the table. Using her fingers to threat through her freshly brushed hair, she tied her hair into a high messy pony tail. She put on her jacket, her coat, scarf and gloves on her way out slipping into her sneakers at the door. She'd long since gotten three of his dresser draws of her own to put all her things.

The winter gear was new. He'd gotten them for her for winter, the materials thick and well insulated. They talked endlessly in the car as he drove her home. They always had something to talk about even if it was something redundant or stupid. There was always something to talk about between them and even the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Sometimes the silence was loaded like a gun ready to go off at any given time but that wasn't all that often.

He had told her that he didn't want to hear about the plans with her and her father. She'd only told him that she was going today and that's all he wanted to know. He was keeping his word –well to his own extent. She knew he was worried about and for her. Hell she was worried for herself too. She was nervous and even uneasy about the entire thing. She hadn't seen father in months since she got here.

There had been no phone calls, no emails and no messages just stone cold dead silence between them. Besides what Rin had found out and told her, Sakura knew nothing about her father anymore. She was glad not to live with him. She was happy to live with such a wonderful woman like Rin and be given so many great opportunities. She was glad she wasn't around her father anymore and his terrible horrible ways. All he had done was talk down to her and abuse her in ways not even she could fix. He'd ruined her mind, her thought process and perspective.

He pulled up at the house and Sakura sat in the car for a while. The snow had covered the world, turning it into an icy wonderland. The snow was blindingly white, covering the drive ways, steps, roofs and trees all around the neighborhood. Nowhere was left untouched.

She leaned over to him and he didn't hesitate to kiss her. "Be on your best behavior at the dinner." She warned.

"Don't talk down to me," he retorted.

She smiled. "Don't talk down to anyone there and make a phenomenal impression." She encouraged. "I'll take care of myself."

"You damn well better." He said sternly. "Now go before I change my mind despite what you say and drive off with you."

Sakura kissed him again and got out of the car, trudging her way to the front door with her feet sinking down into the snow each time. She pulled the key out of her pocket and entered the house. It was warm inside and smelt of coffee and breakfast. Her face was flushed as she stripped from the coat and jacket and scarf and gloves.

"Sakura! That you?" Someone called from the kitchen.

Sometimes it was hard to separate Atona's voice from her mother's so early in the morning. They really did sound alike when they wanted to. Rin's body emerged from the Kitchen with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. She was in jeans and a turtle neck blouse.

"I'm almost ready, if you'd just give me a second to finish this coffee we can get going. I don't mean to have you wait on me," she apologized taking a tentative sip of her coffee.

Sakura waved her hand. "That's completely okay you know that. Where's Atona?"

"Hangover." Rin replied with a scowl. "That's her last party until graduation and her last time drinking. I'm not about to have her lose track. I want her to have fun but if this is how she's going to do it, it's not going to work. She's been grounded too."

"Grounded?" Sakura asked taking a seat in the couch. "For partying?"

"And drinking until she was blue, red and purple in the face. I already warned her and spoke to her about it. I told her the next time she comes in drunk she's going to regret it. She's grounded for the rest of winter break, right here in this house she'll be staying if she's not working." She said matter of factly. "I don't know what she takes me for. Some kind of joke or something."

"I do not," Atona objected shuffling in, "I do not take you for a joke."

Rin shrugged. "I don't care what you say. You're still grounded and you have work tomorrow morning with your uncle at six."

She groaned. "You were _serious?_"

"It's cute that you thought I was joking. I am serious. Out in the cold, shoveling snow after snow until your fingers are inches away from frostbite. Should be damn well good for you walking in here drunk."

"Mom I said I was sorry." She objected loudly.

"Your words mean nothing to me. There's coffee on the counter. Go have some and work on that hangover –the very last one you'll ever have as long as you live in this house."

Rin finished her coffee and gave Atona a list of house chores to keep her busy since Ramoki –the weekly maid- wouldn't be able to make it in the weather. She grabbed her bag and winter accessories and they headed to the car and headed out. The drive to the train station wasn't long and Rin had already purchased tickets.

The train was more packed than she ever thought was humanly possible. With many roads blocked now by snow, cars submerged beneath the white cold mess many people had taken to the subways and trains to get to where they wanted to go now. It was easier but damn was it packed tighter than a tin of sardines. It was so cramped that is was impossible not to sweat and impossible to see more than an inch in front of you.

Sakura was so nervous about their destination that she barely even took notice of how cramped and claustrophobic the place was for her. She didn't take notice of the smell and the staleness in the air. As the Train made its stop people got off but it was like more people got on than those that actually got off but even then her mind was racing. Everyone on the train was uncomfortable they were never usually _this _packed.

"This is just ridiculous." Rin said with her hair plastered to her forehead. "I mean just so many people today, even last winter when I had taken the train to go to Itaku…"

Sakura hardly even heard anything that came out of Rin's mouth. She was doing this. She was really doing this right now. As time ticked by she realized how close they were getting and her palms started to sweat. She hadn't seen this man since she left to come to Kanoha. He hated her guts and he'd never been shy about it. What really was she doing going out of her way to look for him?

Of course she couldn't change her mind now. She and Rin both had come too far both literally and figuratively to turn back. Either way she had no choice but to go through with this. The ride was just short of an hour and half when they got out of the train and into the station. It was far less packed than that of Kanoha but packed nonetheless. She'd thought about bringing him a gift but even Rin was against the entire idea.

_You're not going there to please him or get into this good favor. If he cared about that you'd be living with him instead of me. No gifts. You're not sucking up to anybody. _Rin had said when Sakura had mentioned the idea.

Sakura felt numb from head to toe and it wasn't from the cold as they hustled into a taxi. It was amazing that there were even taxis running on the snow ridden roads today. She couldn't hold up a conversation with Rin no matter how hard she tried. Her mouth was dry and when they got of the taxi after what felt like ten thousand years of traffic, her legs felt heavy like lead.

They stood outside the gate of his apartment complex and for a while, buried in the snow Sakura just stood there looking at it as Rin spoke to the man in the little hut managing the gate. Sakura couldn't make out what she was saying but apparently whatever it was got them into the complex without being buzzed up.

Suddenly she wasn't sure she wanted to do this. She couldn't breathe as she stood there in front of his door. What was she doing? Why had she come back here to look this evil man in his face? What did she expect to achieve? If he cared about her he would have reached out but he didn't. If he didn't want her gone he wouldn't have ran her. If he wanted her she would know. This was a mistake but Rin was already knocking on the door.

Sakura wanted to scream to turn back but only dirt was in her mouth. Ashy no words would come out. Rin shifted outside the door. It was insanely cold even with all the clothes they had on. She knocked again.

"Coming!" An unfamiliar voice called from inside.

She could hear the rush of footsteps and soon the door tore open. Everything became frozen as a man unrecognizable stood in front of her. He was in the middle of taking of his tie, his feet bare and white shirt sleeve rolled up to his elbows. His hair was a mess atop his head in its dull pinkness and his blue eyes seemed tired. He came to an instant halt, his eyes widening at the sight of Sakura standing there before him.

"Wow… Rin…uh…" he stumbled over his words, "I wasn't…I mean I didn't think you guys were going to come what with the snowing outside…I just…I figured that…You know not today."

Rin smiled brightly. "We were hell bent on coming," she said.

Sakura stood there unable to open her mouth and form a coherent sentence. He was right in front of her. A feeling slick and steady started bubbling inside of her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Had he really wanted to get rid of her that bad? Had she really been a plague and a thorn in his side that when she was removed he could flourish and blossom into the completely different man he was now as he stood before her in the doorway. He truly hated her. He truly blamed her for ruining his life and standing there now it was undeniable, unbearable how much of a truth it really was.

She had never –not in all her life- ever seen him look so well and normal, the hate untraceable and gone from his voice. In such a short time…she had really been a wound in his soul, festering and turning his skin black like charcoal. She had been a flesh eating parasite on him, sucking the life and breathe and depth from him. He had wanted her gone and he had meant it. It was obvious.

A long awkward silence rang bright and true through them and Rin jumped in to diffuse the sudden tension. "It was a long journey but we couldn't turn back after we got on to the train so."

He nodded. "Right," he agreed, "Well at least you both made it here safely. Why don't you guys uh come on in?" he said stepping aside from the door.

Rin didn't hesitate to brush past Kizashi and saunter into his apartment. Unlike Sakura Rin had been in this apartment before. Sakura couldn't get her legs to even move and she ended up just standing there looking like a fish out of water. She couldn't do this without him. She shouldn't have come without him. Now she was desperate for Sasuke's firm grasp, his steady and soft reassuring voice. His body close to hers letting her know she was doing fine, that everything was fine. She felt the world around her closing in.

"Sakura," Rin almost scolded, "Come on inside and get out of the cold."

"I…I-"

"Get inside this minute; you of all people know you shouldn't be outside. You can get the flu or pneumonia and then where would we be? Come inside,"

Sakura nodded and felt like she was walking through fifty feet of water as she stepped over Kizashi's apartment threshold. She was inside. She couldn't believe it. She was inches away from hyperventilating. She tried to swallow but it felt like nothing. Her mouth was dry like the desert. She needed him. She couldn't do this without him. She was inches away from running for the hills. She searched so hard to feel the thing that connected them together. She felt frozen in time, panic rising inside of her throat. She was feeling for him like a blind man inside a wet never ending echoing cave.

_You're doing great. Breathe sweetheart, breathe. _His voice was an echo in her head which made her almost jump. The first time he was in her head she was in the cafeteria at her school having a mental breakdown.

How can you? She stuttered in her head.

_You underestimate the extent to which I stalk you and keep tabs on you. You're doing great. Do you need me to come and get you? Do you need me there with you? _ He asked from wherever he was.

"Sakura?" Rin's hand waved in front of her face. Sakura heard the door lock behind her and she felt even more trapped. She was in this place with him. Trapped with _him. _"Is everything okay?"

"Water." She croaked, her voice cracked.

"I just put a kettle on," He said from behind her maneuvering from around her, "I'll just…um make everyone some hot chocolate then?" he asked, still stumbling. He seemed nervous. Very, very nervous.

Rin nodded. "That would be fantastic. I'm still freezing from being outside," she said.

The moment he vanished towards the kitchen Sakura grasped Rin's arm for dear life. Her voice was panicked and rushed. The feeling was rising more and more inside of her and she knew soon, it would be strangling her if she stayed in this place.

"We have to go." She said urgently, her eyes desperate. "I can't stay here, Rin we have to go. I can't do this,"

"Yes you can."

"No," Sakura said shaking her head vigorously. Any courage she once had fled the moment she stepped into his apartment, "I can't."

"Yes you can and you will." Rin said firmly her eyes hard like stone and her face stern like a mother. "We won't be here all day and nothing is going to happen to you. Now come, let's sit down and take deep breaths. You're doing great," she encouraged.

Sakura managed a small smile. Just like what Sasuke had said. She's doing great. She had to focus to keep her connection with him. He was far better at it than she was she was sure he could it and multitask but she couldn't. But that was all she had needed. Just his voice alone had calmed her down drastically.

Sakura nodded numbly and took a seat with Rin on the dirty brown couch. Rin held on to her hand tightly and reassuringly, never once letting go. She was holding Sakura together in an indescribable kind of way.

The feeling she felt when she just saw him was growing stronger. She was forcing herself not to feel it, not to yield to it but it kept building and building. Unrelenting. His apartment wasn't that big but it was cozy, the colors of light blue and an earth brown. An odd match but then again men weren't always the best designers.

The more Sakura looked around the sicker she felt. There were picture frames _everywhere. _Some –very few like two- had Sakura's image in them when she was young, too young to even remember those being taken but others –all of them- were of her mother. Frames hung on the walls, they were on the coffee table, the night tables at the each arm of the long couch they sat on, a frame hung over the entrance to the kitchen too. So many photo's of her on different days, different times in her life, some of her mother she didn't even recognize which must have been taken before she was even born. Her name too. Her name was itched into the cushions, on the cloth that hung off arm of the couches and even spelled out above the goddamned mirror in the living room.

"Rin…" Sakura trailed off unable to even find a word to describe just how much her mother was now suffocating her in the room.

"Yes I know. When she becomes topic all he can talk about is how much he loves her." She whispered under her breath. "There is more to him. He's odd and off I'm sure just more to him."

"Right but do you not see-"

"So I just wasn't really…I mean I didn't think you guys were still coming with the jams at the stations and- wait do you want sugar in your chocolate milk?" he asked quickly putting two mugs down on the coffee table in front of them.

"No thank you." Rin said brightly taking up the mug. "I thought about canceling a few times but the stations are going to be jammed every day as long as it's still winter so it wouldn't have made a difference."

"I suppose-" he coughed awkwardly, "that you're right. Have you even seen the roads? It took me an hour just to get to work this morning, I mean I'm not working a full day today like you know but still being late wasn't the highlight and rush-hour is just about every hour."

Rin nodded taking a sip of the chocolate milk. Sakura had no motion to take the mug or even shrug out of her winter coats. She just sat there still as ply board.

"Wow this is really good; did you put something in it?"

He shrugged and fidgeted nervously. So nervous. Why? Sakura couldn't figure it out. "I just put a little nutmeg in there; you know to give it a little zing. It's much better with it," he agreed.

"Sakura," Rin's voice was gentle, "why haven't you tried any? It's really good, better than how we make it at home if I say so myself."

"I uh…okay," she said leaning forward.

Sakura didn't even blow it she just took two huge gulps. She didn't even taste it. All she did was feel the fire burn her throat and ripped the walls of her stomach in half. She felt it scold her tongue and she knew she would still be feeling it tomorrow. She leaned forward and put the cup down and then pulled off her gloves.

"So," Rin said carrying the entire weight of the conversation, "How is work these days?"

"Its…um...ah… well it's better you know, I'm an ah an asset to the company so of course they're giving me time to get myself together which is going pretty well. It's been better these days, this new start and everything was uhm everything I suppose was necessary?"

"Why haven't you said my name?" She blurted out.

He did a double take. "What?"

"Since I got here you haven't said my name. You haven't acknowledged me. Why?"

He looked at her for what must have been the very first time. As in he really looked at her, his own eyes locking with her own. He shifted in his seat as if he was suddenly uncomfortable. "You can imagine how hard this is for me and all of that." He explained.

"Yes it must be so difficult for you." Sakura said sarcastically. "You look well," she said hiding the bitterness like a professional.

He nodded. "You look beautiful."

He was so odd Sakura thought titling her head and staring at him inspecting him. He was so damn odd and not in the sense of all the pictures of her mother but him on a whole. The more she stared at him it was like his face was peeling away. He seemed so nervous but at the same not even phased by her presence. His eyes they were blue but bleak and flat. He wasn't excited to see her but he wasn't annoyed either. He was merely indifferent at her presence. So completely and totally indifferent. Sakura's brows creased. He wasn't nervous because of _her_. He was nervous about _people_. People made him uncomfortable but he didn't….the smile was well rehearsed. Pretending.

"Thank you." She choked out.

He leaned back in the chair. "So what can I do for you?" he asked cutting straight to the point the second he saw her. She watched his face drift away just enough to see the monster hiding away clearly inside of his lifeless eyes.

"What?"

"What can I do for you? What's your reason for being here?" he explained. "Rin uh has been stopping by and I haven't seen her since the day I got married and now you. C-clearly you have a reason for coming here and being the i-i-isolated man that I am now, this entire thing makes me highly uncomfortable. No offense Rin,"

She held up her hands passively. "None taken," Rin assured him smiling.

Sakura looked down at her hands as she played with her leather gloves. She remembered that Sasuke gave her these just the other day. "I just…" she cleared her throat. "I just thought that I'd come by to see if you were okay or if you know…we could…" she wanted to finish by saying _start a relationship _but she couldn't get the words out. She felt like she would regret them the second she said them.

"We could what?" he asked bluntly staring at her but hardly even seeing her. He wasn't looking at her or through her he was looking right past her as if looking directly at her was the hardest challenge in his life and he rather not do it.

She as a person had no effect on him. "I just…"

"And you still have that intolerable thing about you." He said blinking like he'd ignored her presence before because he knew she would bore him. "If you have something to say just come out and say it. You didn't come all this way to sit on my couch and stutter."

She heaved in through her nose. And there it was. The feeling manifested itself so strongly Sakura literally felt herself turning blood red all over. Hate. Hate so strong and so brutal. There it was, wrapped around her like a cloak and she couldn't get out as she stared at this man who was getting his life together. You couldn't see it. You couldn't tell. You wouldn't be able to know. There was no trace of it anywhere on him. No one would believe the kind of man he was, the hate and disgust in his voice, the way his fists felt like bricks with his entire world a slur and a blur. He took everything from her and here he was. Happy and forgiven without her in his life after all he took away from her. How was that fair?

The hate made tears come to her eyes. She wanted to jump from her chair and strangle him to death. All she could see as she looked at –No THROUGH- this man was all he had done to her and all he had taken from her. All the years of her childhood, all the memories she had and all her self esteem that he took from her stared her right in the face, smiling at her about how better his job was getting and how nutmeg was the best thing to put in chocolate milk.

He beat her into the ground and even buried her inside of it. He drugged her more times than she could ever count and degraded her in ways even now she couldn't believe, warping her perception of life and her role in it. He destroyed her down to her cells so far and deep she wasn't even close to beginning to fix it. He took every piece of her that he could even branding her like she was some kind of animal. Like she was swine. Here he was and you could never tell. You would never know. Smiling right in her face but as she looked at him harder she could see beneath him and the monster that laid there. She hated him. She hated him and he never loved her. He never loved her. He never wanted to love her and he never would.

"That we could have a relationship." She said holding her head high.

The smile was slow and his eyes lit like a match. However darkness flooded her vision as she sat across from him and stared at the smile now on his face. He ran his fingers through his pale pink hair and coughed to hide the laugh.

"Yes Rin had said something about a relationship. I can't say I don't recall." He admitted. "Rin, do you mind if me and this girl speak in private? This specifically is between me and her. Surely you understand."

Rin looked at Sakura. "That's your call to make sweetie." She said.

_He can't touch you. _Sakura's inner said. So far she had only been a mere spectator. _You hear me? He ain't putting a finger on you. I swear it. _

Sakura nodded. "It's fine." She agreed. "He's right."

He stood and Sakura stood with him. She followed him through a short corridor and into a small room that apparently served as his office. A book shelf covered one wall and the other there was a large desk with stacks of papers, a computer that was on and a window that was shut. There was one extra chair in the room and Sakura sat down. He closed the door, leaned against it, folded his arms and smirked at her. He just stared at her for a very long time like she was idiotic but also precious.

"You look so much like her it disgusts me." He said shaking his head. "Stained all over your face with that nasty pink hair of yours but you look like her alright."

Bullet number one. Sakura felt it like it pierced her left shoulder. This was who he was. Not drunk but he was still no saint. Clean but he was still not human at least not fully. His demons had taken him a long time ago and he couldn't get himself back. Sakura could see it.

"I heard you're clean." She said being the bigger person and not yielding to the bait.

He nodded his body careful. "I am." He said. "I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again yet here you are."

Sakura swallowed her tongue tender. "Yes. Here I am."

"Why?" He demanded. "So we can start a relationship? If I wanted a relationship with you in any form we would already have one."

"I just thought-"

"You thought wrong." He cut of her off his voice lethal. "Sending a woman I've never liked to scope me out it's like you don't know me at all. You didn't have any friends to tell you how terrible of an idea this was? Granted you're smart for not coming here alone or I'd have crushed your head into my tiled floor the second I saw you."

Bullet number two and three. Sakura nodded. "I suppose I was in the need for a father figure. You can imagine just how many daddy issues I have."

He cackled, his head titled back. He nodded. "If I didn't dislike you so much I might have been impressed." He admitted his eyes glowing- amused. "However I'm not. I made it a point of my duty to throw you out and I want you to stay out."

"One can never say I didn't try. I just wanted to do my part to have something but apparently this was the biggest mistake of my life." She muttered forcing the tears to recede into her skull.

Her palms were sweating and her heart was beating so fast she was shaking. The hate was so powerful the rage. She wanted to burn his apartment down; she wanted to rip every inch of everything around her to shreds. She wanted to make him hurt. She wanted to wound him and destroy him as much as he destroyed her but she didn't know how to do it. Even keeping her head high and being the bigger person was hurting her. It was hurting her that she had worked so hard for nothing. She was trying to forgive him. She was trying to forgive him and let go of everything wrong thing he had done to her. Didn't he see? She was trying to let him go and forgive him but if she had a gun, temporary insanity would take her and she'd empty the entire gun into his body.

"I don't want you here. I don't want you in my life. I don't want you in my apartment. I don't even want you in my fucking town. If your little blonde whoring little friend hadn't come and taken from you from me I would have killed you. Not an opinion that is a straight fact. Do you know what I see when I look at you?"

"I don't want to know,"

"You are an incurable disease. You infect and destroy and turn my entire life into spoils. You ruin everything you touch and come across like a plague. You are nothing and no one. All I see when I look at you is skin and bones. Not even a pile of rotting dead bodies can disgust me and make my stomach churn the way you do. I see a festering rotting hideous wound when I look at you." He shook his head. "There is a reason why you have nothing. Why I don't want you around –never have- and I never will, you could be dying on the streets. I don't even want to breathe the same air as you. All I see when I look at you are every damn flaw and imperfection in this universe clustered together like trash."

Bullet number five and this time her body jerked backward from the blow. This was a mistake. She shouldn't have come. She should have listened to her friends. She should have listened to Ino. She shouldn't have cut Ino off because of what she had said. Ino was right.

Her hands balled into a fist. She remembered the beatings like they were from yesterday. She remembered the blood and the scars. She remembered the hospitals, the surgeries. She remembered it all. Over and over again. He never got tired of hitting her. He never got tired of taking it out on her. He never got tired to breaking her repeatedly. He never tired of seeing her suffer. She was trying to be the bigger person but she was going to hit him where it hurt and she was going to hit him hard. The rage blinded her.

Sakura stood on her feet and met his gaze head on. She had allowed herself to have hope against hope. She had allowed herself this risky window of the possibility of sitting down with him and having a conversation but now, standing before him she could not even stomach the idea. Everyone made mistakes and this was one of hers. This was one of hers and she refused to embarrassed by this. She shouldn't have come. She had known this and they had all told her the truth and she didn't listen. This is what she deserved to have coming to her but this had been her decision, her mistake and her lessen to learn. He made her stomach churn.

"Do you know what I see when I look at you?" She asked her voice as gently as the wind during a sunset. "I see a man who has lost himself in a woman who has been trying to leave him and even after she left trapped and stagnant in a past that will never come back to you and longing for a woman that would never set foot over this threshold as long as you live. I see a man who has her stapled everywhere all over his house, reliving something long lost and gone. I see a man who drank his entire sorrows and downed himself in the depths of himself, destroying everything and everyone. I see a man who could never look at me and love me because the woman he loved had been taken away. A man stuck and afraid like a child who is afraid of water after having almost drowned, barely able to stomach the hurt and the pain and the lost. I see a man that has no one and nothing now. Not his wife. Not his daughter. Not his home and not even himself." She pulled the door open.

"I do not love you Sakura."

She looked back at him and the hate left her body instantly. Lost in the wind and suddenly as she stared at him she felt sorry for him. He wanted to hurt her like her mother had hurt him. He wanted to break her like how living without Mebuki had broken him and crippled him. She felt sorry for him. She did not forgive him and she would never forgive him but a part of her, very small, pitied him now.

"I don't need you to. Not anymore."

_**Well I guess that's that for this chapter guys. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'd like to know what you thought of their encounter and how Sakura handled and whether her feelings about the entire ordeal was justified or not. As usual have a great week everyone! **_

_**Much Love,**_

_**D.v**_


	51. Chapter 51

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty One]**

Sakura shifted in front of the mirror in her half nakedness in Ino's bedroom. She titled her head to one side as she scrutinized herself. She could literally feel Ino roll her eyes and shake her head.

"You look fine." She said sitting in front of her Vanity table doing her own makeup.

Sasuke had been with Kavazwalian's all morning and –unfortunately- had no time for her just yet. She couldn't get ready at his house because he wasn't even going to be there or at her house because face it, she was incapable of making herself look as pretty as Ino could. She felt guilty asking Ino if she could come over and get help getting ready and even guiltier when she didn't even bat an eyelash at saying yes. She didn't deserve Ino as a best friend.

"I never said I didn't look fine," she mumbled touching her hair.

"You don't have to _say _it for me to know." Ino explained. "Hey stop that! Stop touching your hair." She snapped.

Her long pink hair had been done in a low side bun. The bun itself was messy with tendrils of hair falling out and some hair at the front, falling elegantly. A silver cherry blossom hair pin was itched into her hair next to the bun. The extent to how pink her hair was after Ino washed it and treated it shocked even her. It was amazing. Ino had insisted that she didn't need makeup. Just some eyeliner, fill in her eyebrows a little more and some lipstick and that was it. Sakura barely recognized herself as she stood there. Her eyes seemed to become this intense fire driven emerald. She smiled.

"You're not even near to being ready," Sakura noted.

Ino shrugged. She was still in her silk robe. "Well it takes a lot longer for some of us to get pretty you know besides being late is a grand trade mark of mine. Unlike your boyfriend mine is quite patient." she said idly. "Get your dress. He'll be here any minute." She instructed curling her lashes.

Sakura was so nervous she wasn't even nervous anymore. She couldn't feel her body. It felt like an outer body experience she was having now, unable to even absorb anything happening around her. Since she got back from her father's apartment she just didn't feel like herself. She couldn't feel anything string or part of herself she just felt numb and impenetrable all of sudden.

She was awash in a kind of daze that she couldn't will herself to get out of. This banquet, she didn't even know what to expect. She'd never been to a banquet before let alone one filled with people from a completely different planet. She had never even met Sasuke's father before and hands down he would want to see her tonight. Probably everyone would want to see her strung out on the arm of the Legeem as the human girl she was. If there was one thing that made her uneasy it was being stared at and scrutinized. She faced –still- so much of that at school already.

"Sakura go get your dress and stop freaking yourself out. Really I can't stand the bad vibe here." She said combing through her flawless blonde hair. Ino was flawless. Totally and completely flawless.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah right." Sakura responded snapping out of her thoughts.

She grabbed the box and pulled out the rack and the silver corsage that was stained in some kind of viscous red. The mark told everyone at the banquet that she was off limits and not on the menu. Her stomach felt sick at the thought. People were on the menu. She didn't how she was going to be able to stomach this entire thing. She flashed the wrack and the dressed appeared instantly in its midnight blackness. Ino froze in her tracks, swiveled around and stared.

"Oh my God," she whispered, "that's gorgeous!"

Sakura flushed. "Thanks,"

She stood her robe falling open revealing her naked body but she really didn't care. Her hand touched the laced sleeve with a kind of awe she usually had when she saw expensive things in clothing magazines. She ran her manicured fingers over the top of the dress covered in lace, picked up the long back to admire the snowflakes that seemed to vanish into the hem of the dress in its silver light.

"Sakura it's just beautiful. It's perfect for you." she said in a tone of almost reverence. "Let's get you zipped up then." She said then with a smile.

Sakura nodded meekly and with Ino's help put the dress on. It clung to her frame even more than she remembered, the top cut low and square pushing her breasts up to create cleavage. It was skin tight as it stopped at the front mid-thigh and flared out behind her.

Sakura slipped into the black heels that wrapped up her calves where it didn't even need to be buckled. Ino had done her toes in an almost starlight silver, full of flitter. Ino made sure she had on the corsage and stepped back to smile at her master piece. If Sakura said she didn't feel pretty she would have been a blatant liar. She felt beautiful and almost cried when she saw herself in front of Ino's full length mirror. She never thought she could look this good in all her life.

"Ino…" she choked.

"Yeah yeah you're welcome no need to get all emotional about it. You look jaw dropping which is all that matters. No need to thank me," she said shimmying into her underwear.

Just then there was a honk. Suddenly Sakura felt faint, blood rushing from her head. She grabbed Ino's bed post to steady herself. Oh God, he was right on time. She bent at the waist and heaved in air through her mouth and out through her nose.

"You'll be fine." Ino said closing her robe and moving to her window to look out onto the street. "Huh," She said.

"What?" Sakura asked breathless from nerves.

"He's uh…." Ino titled her head before shaking it, "Nothing. You should get going. He looks a little impatient."

"No what's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing nothing, he just feels weird." She shrugged. "Guess he's nervous. It's him alright and he's stretching his arm into the car to-"

Sakura heard the car horn. "Yeah you should go now." Sakura nodded. "Okay." She trembled. "Okay. See you there?"

Ino laughed. "No shit Forehead. Now go."

Sakura hesitated even after Sasuke honked again downstairs before waving and making her way out of Ino's bed room. The night was bound to come. She just hoped he loved this dress; his opinion mattered the most to her.

Most of all she hoped that she didn't ruin this night for him. She knew how important it was and she prayed that everything went perfectly, that he was proud to have her on his arm tonight and that she made a good impression. God…she hoped she didn't trip over her feet and mess this up.

~O~

There is that moment when everything stops and your mind tries grasping the threads of sanity. That moment when you know that something is irrevocably and undeniably wrong and your mind tries to understand it, tries to make sense of it before it cracks and you go insane. When your mind reaches out its hands like it's falling from a cliff, trying to grab the threads of sanity before it shattered. This was one of those moments and Sasuke was missing the threads. He was missing all of them.

He knew the second something was wrong. It was instantaneous as everything that formed the cosmos collapsed in a rain of pain and agony. He coughed as the land slide forced him to his knees, his hand gripping his chest as he coughed dryly. Blood in its deep crimson and ringlets splattered to the floor, his palms now pressing on the asphalt as he leaned over, his insides becoming strangled. The pain was unreal. It was like his inner flesh was being torn away from his soul, his essence being shredded away. Then all too suddenly it stopped and he couldn't sense Sakura anymore.

Sasuke's head craned to the sky as his breathing darkened. The mangekyō formed lethally and the air became toxic and black like a cloak fell over him. Anger raged through him at lightning speed as he rose to his feet. He let out a long shaky breath as his anger seemed to begin to burn through his clothes. He wiped the corners of his mouth and made his way to Ino's house. It took him almost no time at all to make it there. The second he saw her house he didn't even knock. He just walked right in.

He took his time making his way through her house and to her room. If Sakura was not in that room with Ino… …He was on the brink of losing every single piece of his mind. He could feel it, the insanity hovering over his shoulder just waiting to grasp him. He could feel its sticky breath on his neck and he would destroy this entire town and rip every single piece of board and brick to find her. He couldn't feel her. There had never –not once- been a moment where he could not feel her.

He pushed open Ino's room door and she jumped back, half naked in front of her full length mirror. She almost had a heart attack as she quickly grabbed a towel.

"Where is Sakura?" He asked cold-heartedly.

"Sasuke! What the fuck are you-"

"Ino where is Sakura?" he repeated.

"Uh, hello you don't just barge in and…" Ino trailed off as his question dawned. "What'd you mean where is Sakura? You picked her up literally like two minutes ago." Ino said.

The entire world throbbed like a broken heart beat, Ino zoomed out then back into vision and for a split second Sasuke thought he would pass out. He surely felt like he was going to black out. His knees buckled and the air around him stilled. His hand found a wall as he braced against it unable to breathe. No.

He made his way to her window and looked out. "Ino who came here?" he asked. "Who came to get her?"

"Sasuke you came to pick her up, you honked and she went down stairs. What's going on? What happened?"

His entire body darkened as he jumped through Ino's window and went to stand in the middle of the road. He waited patiently, his face unable to display the anger and the dread that washed through him so much his entire body was shaking. They clashed inside of him all at once, a combination he'd never felt before. He knew something was wrong, he just knew it. Anything could be happening to her right now, anything. This was supposed to be an absolutely impossible scenario. This was supposed to be completely _impossible. _

Not after everything. He couldn't have her go through something else again not after everything that had happened. Not after all this he couldn't fail her one more time. This couldn't happen to her. He hadn't even seen her this morning after she went to see her father. He hadn't touched her face. This couldn't happen to her after all she had been through. This couldn't happen!

Sasuke watched as shadows crept and dragged their way into shapes and forms, gliding and coming closer and soon the Black Blades formed before him.

Sasuke just stared at them, the urge to rip every single one of them to shreds strangling him. He swallowed and his voice was the calmest it had ever been. The blame had to be put somewhere and he had done everything to prevent this. Who told these men that failure to do what was told was an option? Had he told them that it was alright to disappoint him? They weren't stupid; there was a price to pay for failure when working with him. He licked his lips, his mouth forming a deadly scowl.

"Someone needs to start talking." Sasuke said breaking the silence that surrounded them in the middle of the street. He didn't care who saw. "Why isn't my girlfriend in that room right now?" he asked pointing to Ino's bedroom window his jaw set in a hard line.

His mind was racing. This could cause complete and utter disaster on a level he didn't even want to think about. The emotions that propelled through him made his bones feel brittle and made him feel like he had absolutely no strength in his body.

Everyone looked at each other but no one opened their mouth to say anything. If he couldn't find her, people had to be punished justly. He was in physical pain. His insides and chest felt as if it was being torn apart from the inside out, as if it was being set ablaze. It was not a comfortable feeling and it was making him even angrier with the turn of events. He trusted these men to keep her safe until he got back. His chest seemed to constrict painfully and he tried not to stagger back. He gritted his teeth. Damn it hurt.

"Autkio, where is my girlfriend?" Sasuke asked.

His eyes darted around. "I don't know."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked leaning his ear closer. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I don't know boss," he mumbled softly.

Sasuke nodded and without a word smashed his head clean into the asphalt. With his shoe Sasuke stepped into his throat severing his head in pure carnal brutality. Blood splattered across the asphalt as brains came out in a sticky sound, slapping onto the ground. He knelt down and grabbed his lifeless body by the shirt and held him up to demonstrate just how serious this was. This was not a game. The demon in him had risen. His mangekyō red eyes blinked at them.

This was one of the most important Kavazawlian events of the entire year. The most important event of the entire year and he could not afford to fuck this up. He couldn't afford to miss it; he couldn't afford to kill his own kind on a night like this. The most important political and social night of the year and they lost track of his girlfriend. They didn't know who they were fucking with.

"One thing. I asked for one single thing." Sasuke said tossing his body emotionlessly, stepping carelessly on his head over to them. "How is it that I have three of you watching my girlfriend and you look in my face and dare tell me that you _don't know_ where she is?"

"Boss I wasn't even aware to-"

"Where the fuck is she?!" He roared.

"Boss-"

He held his hand up. If they said anything else he'd kill all of them.

They were all trained. They could never mistake Sasuke for anyone else. His entire DNA was itched into their very flesh, imprinted in their senses and tangled in their minds. There was no possible excuse as to why Sakura was not in Ino's room right now. None and even if there was one, it was not valid. Besides the fact that she was his everything, she could cause complete disaster. Right now Sasuke had no control over himself if someone else tried to do something to her, he could have no mind of his own. He wasn't thinking with his head he was thinking with his feelings and he knew how much damage that could cause.

With Sakura gone with his soul not only could he die, they could completely own him. His soul was inside of her. _He was inside of her. _They could _own _him. The thought made him sick and weak in his knees. Owning Sasuke and what he was capable of would be the ultimate weapon for them to use and wipe out the council's. He was the strongest of his kind and his powers surpassed the rest. They could have an army. With the highest ranking Kavazwalian's present in Kanoha now was the perfect time. Not to mention that power inside of him that they could release, fully waking this god that would completely destroy everything.

Sasuke pointed to Autkio's morbid body. "If I don't find her before the banquet ends at tonight, everyone will pay the price for this. Get. Searching. Now." he seethed.

He glanced up and saw Ino staring at him almost traumatized, her hands over her mouth as nausea caressed her. She looked at him as if he was a monster. If he didn't find Sakura, he would show Ino what a monster truly looked like. No nightmare she'd ever had and monster she'd ever seen when she was little could even compare to the monster he could be. Without thinking he stepped over Autkio's body and vanished. He needed to find her.

This was not supposed to happen. He had taken the precautions necessary to protect her. He knew someone was watching them. He had known that someone was on to them but he had done and taken the precautions. He initiated his Black Blades to watch her 24/7 and he had kept tabs on her at all times. This was supposed to be an impossible scenario.

She couldn't go through this again after all that had happened. They couldn't have picked a worse time. She hadn't even fully recovered. Why couldn't he do his job? Why couldn't he protect her the way he promised her he would? The way he was supposed to?

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair as his mind raced. For the first time in all his life he didn't know what to do. He had no plan for this and he didn't know how to even start doing something to find her. He knew every second she was gone something was getting worse. Pulling out his phone he decided to call the first two people that came to his mind. Itachi and Naruto.

Truly Itachi had his own shit to deal with right now since the Kavazwalian society was in some sort of mild mayhem and all. Sasuke knew that and he also knew that really, Itachi had been minding his own business and not pushing himself into Sasuke's affairs. However, he needed Itachi's help. He needed someone's help; he was having trouble even thinking straight. All he wanted to do was kill kill kill kill kill until he found her but he knew that wasn't a plan. He knew that by calling Naruto, everyone else who needed to hear would hear. He conferenced the call.

"What have you gotten yourself into now?" Itachi asked calmly as he answered the phone. "I'm about to put my suite on."

"Yo, Sasuke! Where are you?"

"Kill me." Itachi said warily. "Why am I on the phone with this fool?"

"Hello? Am I talking to three people here?" Naruto asked. "Oi! Itachi, we're on a conference call! How've you been dude?"

"I am in no way or form in the mood for this." He said. "Sasuke, what is this stunt about?"

Sasuke balled his free hand into a fist. He couldn't do this. He felt his eyes water and he closed them taking a deep breath. "Sakura is gone." He said in a hard tone.

Silence reigned for a long while. Of course they wouldn't believe him because even if she was kidnapped, he should be able to sense her and find her. Easy game really. However he felt as blind as a bat in the moment.

"What?" Naruto said. "What'd you mean she's gone? Gone where?"

"Naruto, clearly he has no idea where. Put two and two together would you." he said in mild irritation. "How long has she been gone?" Itachi asked.

"I don't know. I was only aware when whatever connection I had to her was severed."

"You can't feel her at all?" Itachi asked.

"No, I cannot." He replied.

"Ah boy, this spells trouble." Itachi sighed.

"Where are you?" Naruto asked.

"A few blocks from Ino's house."

"Don't move. I'll be there in two minutes." They said simultaneously.

Sasuke raked his fingers through his hair and stared. Where was he going to start? He didn't know. He felt like he couldn't do anything at all as if he was lost and in a sea of nothingness. He heard her feet hitting the pavement, coming from the distance, her heart racing with fear. He should have known she would follow him but truth was he could use any help he could get. He was collapsing as the seconds went by. He didn't know how to function without her, to even breathe without knowing she was safe.

"Sasuke!"

He stood there and waited. She grabbed his hand, gasping. She bent at the waist, flipping her pony tail from over her shoulder.

"Shit, running is certainly not my forte." She gasped. She stood and came into his focus. Her brows furred as she stumbled back. "What are you?" she asked almost horrified.

"What do you want?" he said simply.

"What…your eyes…"

"Ino, what do you want?" he repeated.

"We have to find her," Ino said gasping, "I knew something was wrong I just didn't know what it was. He felt so unlike you but he looked like you, I just-"

"He looked like me?"

She nodded. "Yes he did, exactly like you." she said pointing west. "He went that way."

"Was there anything off about him?"

"His eyes." she said instantly. "When I looked at him through the window, his eyes were almost a gray black for a split second and he smiled. I found that the weirdest thing of all because you don't smile."

"How long ago did he come for her?"

"Before you arrived…about three minutes had gone by after she left tops. I called Hinata, I thought this would kind of be her thing. I hope you don't mind."

"What did she say?"

"She's on her way. That's partly a reason why I just ran all the way here to stop you. You need to wait." She said wiping sweat from her forehead. "He looked so much like you it was weird."

"And he's waiting for you." Hinata said as she materialized out of what seemed to be nothingness with Naruto and Itachi on either side of her. "Sasuke, he's planned this out very well and you won't find her until he's finished setting up. You can't find her unless this man or this thing wants you to."

"Setting up what?"

Hinata swallowed. "He knows. Somebody knows Sasuke. He's doing the forbidden Aka Reikon technique." She said.

Itachi grasped Sasuke's forearm before his knees could cave and send him to the floor. Reality shattered him from the inside out and for the first time in his life Sasuke Uchiha experienced raw bone breaking terror. Itachi guided Sasuke to the side walk and Sasuke took a seat, holding his head before burying his head in his hands. Aka Reikon, the Red Soul technique was used so long ago that it sounded alien to his ears. However he knew what it meant. He held his head up slowly and looked up into the sky.

"He's going to try to take out my Soul." Sasuke said. "She'll die."

The Aka Reikon took around an hour or two to set up where Sakura's body could be trapped in a series of spells cast by symbols, her hands tied to the ceiling apart and her legs held apart by ropes, making it 'easier' to take out his soul. He'd snap her elbows and pierce her knees with an enflamed, ever burning piece of wood. The idea was to let it bleed it out of her and extract it through her mouth. It was forbidden for so many reasons. Firstly the soul could not be controlled, she could die before he got the chance to take it out, the spell could back fire as it was known for doing and set Kaavan Demons on them. He would need Sasuke for the ceremony to work if his soul couldn't be bled out after snapping Sakura's limbs. Oh god Sasuke felt like he was about to vomit at the entire thought. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that this was actually happening.

"So what do I do?"

Hinata sighed and slumped.

"What you need to do is get yourself together this very minute. Your girlfriend is in trouble now is not the time to show weakness. Now is the time to get up, lead and find her." Itachi said coldly. He turned to Hinata. "You need create a bonding circle, have him stand in it and try your hardest to initiate some sort of contact with her by any means necessary." He said.

"I don't think I'm strong enough to do that." She stuttered.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Well you're going to make certain that you are tonight. Sasuke get up and take charge." Itachi clipped. "Sitting in disbelief is not going to save your Gardien D'âme and the absolute disaster that this entire situation could cause."

He took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet. His brother was right, this wasn't doing anything and measures need to be taken in case of anything. His face became a mask like clay before he started talking. After having relocated to a more reclose place, he started giving orders like it was no body's business. One of the main concerns was having this leaked out by others who could possibly be watching them and having the Pentitantum finding out.

The Pentitantum knew something was fishy but they also believed that Sasuke and his team were on top of their game and keeping everything in order. Of course everything was a complete disaster but having them know this would lead to them ignorantly getting rid of Sakura, executing his soul and trying to get their hands on the God to cause further complications. Such idiotic moves couldn't be tolerated at this moment and so Naruto and Itachi moved out to eliminate any further complications.

Hinata and Neji using Black Ash started drawing a bonding circle on the grass. Every second she glanced at Sasuke but he could barely even see anyone. There it was again, the pain making him stagger back and grabbing his chest. He coughed and more blood flew from his mouth. Shikamaru was already at his side steadying him as the pain tried to subdue him.

"Neji, can't you go any faster?" Shikamaru asked.

His brows creased apologetically. "We're going as fast as we can." He said his tone soft. "We will find her Sasuke even if it means tearing this world apart. We will find her." he reassured him.

Sasuke coughed and nodded his head. "I'm fine." He croaked patting Shikamaru's arm. "I'm fine."

Shikamaru released him reluctantly. Sasuke took a deep breath and a tentative step. He groaned. The pain was almost –almost- unbearable for him. Hinata gestured at him and he walked over already knowing the drill. He held his hand out and let Hinata slash his palm, draining the blood into the circle.

"Sasuke, I don't…" Hinata paused for a second, "I don't know if this will get-"

"I just need a second." Sasuke interrupted. "Just one second."

Hinata and Neji nodded. "We'll give you. It's going to hurt." He warned.

"Are we ready or what?" Sasuke asked stepping into the circle.

As if he cared about pain. Pain didn't bother him. Pain didn't make him afraid of anything. He was not a coward and he wanted to get her back –no he had to get her back- and if it caused a little pain that was almost nothing to pay. Sasuke got in the circle and checked his watch. The banquet would start in twenty minutes. Jesus. The trouble this would cause if he was absent. He nodded. Let the world burn to the ground if that's what it was going to cost him to find her. He was ready.

He watched the Byakugan come alive in Hinata's eyes, her hands outstretched over the black ash. Sasuke felt like someone was prying into his chest. He didn't rightly know how a dragon and a dragoness (partial anyways) were going to connect him to Sakura. He didn't know how long it would take but one thing he knew; soon he was on his hands on knees. Blood seemed to gush from his mouth and eyes, his nails digging into the earth.

The force sank down onto him like a blanket making itself known. He kept feeling and searching, waiting and waiting to feel her even the fainted hint. It was hard to concentrate with pain rising from inside of his body clawing its away out but he wouldn't stop. His hand slammed into the ground with a painful cry, his voice thick and laced with his own blood.

"Sasuke-"

"Keep going." he ordered coughing again.

Searching. He'd been so in tuned to her for so long he didn't ever think their connection could be broken. He never thought anything could come between them or take her away from him. He didn't think a time would ever come where he couldn't feel her or where he couldn't find her. It was one of those things you never even thought about because it seemed so farfetched.

Then he felt it like wind against his skin. It was gently but hot and fierce cutting clean through him. He coughed again and took a deep breath. He just had to grab the connection he saw around him. He just had to-

The cry ripped from his mouth like a monster raw and guttural. It was like the shriek of a demon with its loudness torment laced all around in it. The curse mark flared to life and he staggered to his feet with the devil riding him.

"I know where she is."

He was going to murder every single living thing.

_**And there you have it guys, the ending of another chapter! I know Sakura just never gets a break does she? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are pumped to read all that's coming a head for you guys! Thank you so much for ALL your support! It REALLY gets me through all these rough things and to see what all you guys have to say, seriously, reviews are the best part of my weeks. **_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	52. Chapter 52

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Two]**

Sakura groaned disoriented and in pain. Her head throbbed. Weakness and nausea cascaded down her body as pain shot through her arms and legs as they were spread wide. Her hands were tied to the ceiling by metal chains that dug into her wrists, her legs tugged apart and shackled into the floor. Her body fell forward the taste of blood in its metallic glory strong as her mouth was full of blood. Each breath was a scream from her, winded and in pain.

Sakura could hardly even move her head. Her palms throbbed as they had been pierced by wood and one was in her chest too. Blood oozed through.

The pain was unlike anything she had every felt, her naked body covered in bleeding cuts and burses. She couldn't plead anymore or cry out anymore. Sakura couldn't beg for her life as she dipped in and out of consciousness. She never really thought of how technically she was going to die. She knew she would die and she would die soon but she had never really thought about what exactly would be the first to kill her. Would it be her illness? Would it be the souls inside of her? A car accident? No it would be this as something crucified her.

The symbolic circle she was in with the slain goat in front of her lit up. Electricity surged through the metal and her body tensed as she shrieked at the top of her lungs the pain shooting up through her body. Her hoarse and sore through pulsed and blood shot out of her mouth as she wailed the pain sucking the life out of her. Her skin set a fire the tears had now turned to Sasuke's blood running down her face.

She heard the clicking of heels and laughter. "From the moment I saw her I just knew she was perfect." The woman said her voice oddly familiar but equally foreign.

It sounded so distant Sakura could just barely make out the words. She was talking to someone who was probably the man that had lured her into car only to do this to her. She wondered if Sasuke was going to come for her. It seemed like a lost cause. She didn't know how he would when they couldn't feel each other. She felt void and empty on the inside.

"She's not bleeding fast enough," he growled angrily, "It's like no matter what I do the blood is hardly leaving her body. We can't start anything until she bleeds out."

"Then cut her some more!"

"Where!?" He yelled frustrated coming into view. "If you haven't fucking noticed I've slit every fucking inch of her goddamn body."

Sakura forced her eyes open. He was a just a blur and a mixing of colors but he was more like an It. He had three eyes all of them black like night time. His skin was a disgusting yellow green and he hissed the tongue of a snake coming out of his mouth. He titled his head sideways.

"Are you posit…"

She zoned out again unable to keep her head up or even listen anymore. There was pain even in the darkness of her subconscious. The pain was potent sieving through her cells and into her brain. She didn't know what they had done to her but she couldn't even hear from her inner though she knew the Kavazwalian was probably the one preventing her from bleeding out and dying.

But Sakura wanted to die. She would give everything and anything to die in that moment. She wanted the pain to stop. The maddening slices and wood boring through her skin and the tight hot pain burning her flesh she would give anything just to make it stop. She did not want to make it out of this. Electricity pulsed through her at such a high voltage Sakura could hear her skin burning off from her bones her mouth torn open in agony but no sound came out.

Her body slumped with her head hung low, blood dripping out. She didn't know what was happening down to her fingers disoriented and had absolutely no feeling in them. She gasped like she had been drowning the moment she came to and gagged but there was no vomit to come out. She'd released everything what felt like a long time ago.

What was Sasuke doing? Was he worried about her? Was he at the banquet? She didn't want him to miss it with how important the banquet was. What would he do when he realized that she was dead? Sakura coughed and blood literally erupted and poured out of her mouth like a tap. Her insides twisted and turned and she wailed as the blood gushed out. She gasped and lulled with the chains being the only thing keeping her body up.

Her pink hair hung around her from her neck down to the tips red and drenched in her own blood as it hung on her skin and around her bleeding and naked body. She was going to die here tonight and even if she didn't she was going to live her life wishing she had.

_Sakura stood at Ino's front door with her heart playing hopscotch in her chest. She was shaking from head to toe. She knew he was out there waiting on her and she was having the hardest time convincing herself to open the door and face him. _

_What if he didn't like the dress she had on? What if he didn't like her hairstyle or her eyebrows or anything else for that matter? What if he had a bad day and couldn't be bothered? On rare occasions he got like that with her when he was stressed. For some reason this seemed like the most cataclysmic event of her entire life. _

_She took a deep breath and opened the front door, closing it behind her and making her way over to his car. This time it was sleek and black. It was one she hadn't seen before but reminded her of panthers. He leaned against the car, his hands in his pockets, a smile playing on his lips. _

_She flushed as she stood before him. "What are you smiling about?" she stuttered out, head down looking at the floor. _

_He opened the car door but didn't say anything. She looked up at him then squinting. She titled her head. Something was wrong- so wrong she felt it down to the insides of her marrow. Her heart leaped fifty feet in her chest. She gripped his arm. _

"_What's wrong?" she asked. "What happened?"_

"_I'll tell you about it in the car ride." He said crisply like his starch pressed suite. _

_It wasn't the suite she'd thought he would have been wearing but he still looked amazing in it. The feeling travelled down her spine like cold, hunkering down into the pits of her belly. For some strange reason she hesitated to get into the car. He just looked at her but it felt like he wasn't looking all at the same time. What could have happened to change him so much since she had seen him yesterday? She couldn't handle anymore kinds of big news. Not anymore. _

_She nodded then and slid into the car. He closed the door and then got in. she kept looking at him. Something was wrong, so wrong. She had known from the moment she saw him but as he started the engine Sakura felt like she was in the car with a complete stranger. Stranger. That's when the fear gripped her. _

"_Who are you?" she demanded before she could stop herself. _

_She had taken too long to ask he was already off the curb and driving along the seats. Metal bars projected from the seats and wrapped around Sakura, caging her to the seat. The scream had ripped from her throat with such rawness even she couldn't have believed it._

There was more talking but there was so much internal and external noise Sakura could hardly hear it. It all sounded like a mixture of blurs and slurs but it was rushed and quick. She forced herself to focus their voices coming to the forefront of everything.

"He can't know I'm here!" She exclaimed panicked. "I thought you said he couldn't find her!"

"He shouldn't be able to!" He roared frantic.

"Remember what I told you," she said quickly her voice almost clicking in Sakura's head but she couldn't focus enough to stick a name and a face to it, "_remember what I told you."_

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Kill him if she won't leave the girl." She instructed.

Sakura's eyes widened. He found her. Sasuke found her. How did he even figure out where she was or even get here so fast when they had not even a thread of connection? Relief should have flooded her but it didn't. What was he going to save? She was two seconds away from being a mere carcass strung up by the ceiling. The floor beneath her trembled and she prepared herself weakly for the next dose of pain.

There was a loud explosive sound and the world shook and rattled. Sakura groaned forcing her eyes to open. Everything was a mirage and out of focus but she could make him out. It didn't even take her a second to see him standing in the door way in the far corner in front of her. His red eyes made him a target and soon –just barely- the images came into focus.

He had something in each hand but she couldn't tell what it was until he held them up. They seemed limp and large. Bodies. They were dead bodies. Sakura could see the demon inside of him breathing.

"Stay back!"

"They were yours?" Sasuke asked holding up the bodies higher for him to see.

Voltage shot through her ridiculously. Her body became taut and shaking, her shrill blood coated and she felt wet all over as blood gushed from the wood in her chest, palms and knees. Tears gushed from her eyes in their redness.

"Alea!" he cried out as Sasuke dropped one body and tore her head off with the heel of his shoe. He glanced up back at him, his eyes like nothing Sakura could have imagined.

Blood tumbled out of her mouth and she wheezed pain slicing and dicing inside of her chest. "Sasu…ke." The words almost didn't come out contaminated by the blood.

She had never seem him like this with so much darkness coming from him. His power was all but crushing the room and cracking the walls. He held up the other girl by the throat and she whimpered, her body covered in blood. The grotesque sight made her want to vomit but Sasuke had her under some sort of spell…her…savior?

"One more step and she's fucking dead." Something sharp and cool touched her neck. "I'll slit her throat."

He ran his tongue over all his teeth and cracked his neck. He nodded and ripped off an arm off the other body in his hand. Blood spewed everywhere, spraying her Sasuke's face but he was unfazed. The girl screamed, her voice manifesting throughout the entire room as Sasuke held her like a toy.

"How many bones have you broken?" Sasuke asked. She heard his dress shoes click against the warehouse floor as he walked in ripping limbs off the body with each step he took. "How many cuts exactly have you given her?" O

The blade pressed into her throat. Sakura's head was up, her hair falling behind her in their wet heaviness and she watched him. She watched Sasuke come closer and closer his face collected and smooth as if nothing fazed him. His eyes a lethal gorgeous red hypnotized her. Sasuke stopped at the edge of the symbol in which Sakura stood. He stared at the decapitated goat for a fraction of a second.

"Step away from her." He instructed lethally holding a head up.

She'd never seen him like this before. There was so much hate and vengeance in his eyes, so much blood and monstrous need to kill she could see it all over his face, drowning in his red eyes. Had kidnapping her done this to him?

He laughed manically. "Get out of here."

He was left with the head of the woman he had killed. "Or this will be your daughters head after I tear her womb out with a katana." He finished calmly. The blade pressed deeper into Sakura's throat quickly. Sasuke nodded and looked Sakura in her eyes. "Don't look."

Which was fairly easy to do. Her eyes closed before she could even think. Her heart wasn't racing and Sakura couldn't even remotely feel nervous or worried about what would happen. The blade was gone from her neck and noise erupted in the warehouse. Her entire body shook and sung as the earth vibrated beneath her. Animalistic growls shattered her eardrums. It started so quickly she could barely understand it.

She slipped out of consciousness again and when she came to there was a lot of noise. A lot of talking well more like panicked screaming. The haze made her head feel like it weighed a thousand pounds, her neck about to snap and unconsciousness was about to take her for good.

"Hold him Naruto!" A voice barked.

"What does it look like I'm doing!?" A voice screamed loudly almost like a lions roar. "Get him out of here Sasuke won't stop!"

Her eyes forced themselves open. Naruto had a bright red bubbling coating around him, three tails twitching behind of him. His eyes were blood red and his teeth and nails were sharp. What he was holding down didn't even look like Sasuke but completely like him at the same time. His hair was so silver it was almost lavender his skin color deeper and different. She could hardly comprehend the large hands for wings. _Wings_. He had told her once that he had wings. _Possibly the kind that they have when they fall and burn in a cross fire. It's more on the grotesque side of things _Those had been his exact words. Her stomach rolled.

"Sasuke you can't kill so many in one night! You need to STOP!" Naruto yelled frustrated. "You can't kill him!"

"Sasuke." The sob got stuck in her sore throat her eyes rolling over. God she wanted this to be over. She wanted it to be over and she wanted it to be over now.

Their eyes locked and she couldn't help but think about how beautiful he was even in this inhumane form. So much like himself through and through. She wasn't even remotely afraid of him as he stared at her like for a second he had forgotten why he had been here. Rage had consumed him and she watched it leave his entire body like looking at her pulled it right out of him.

He shrugged out of Naruto's hard grasp and was behind her in a second. The second the metal released her arms from the ceiling her body headed to the floor. He caught her but just the contact alone had pain siring through her skin and had her screaming. The light rammed into her eyes but she couldn't even move her arms that had been snapped or her palms that still had the wood in there.

His wings folded over her sending her in complete darkness. "I have you." He assured her but that wasn't enough.

The pain was real. Sakura would have given the entire world to die. Everything. Her body shook and trembled the pain was everywhere on every inch of her body. She felt the cold floor beneath her as he laid her down. She turned her head to the side. Darkness spotted her vision the wood grinding in her chest.

"We can't pull them out." Shikamaru said kneeling down beside her naked, blistered, cut and bruised body.

The darkness was coming closer and closer, coming in and consuming her sight. It was final this darkness that was covering her vision. Her heart beat was slow and irregular.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"Take it out." Sasuke said his voice strangely steady. "She'll be dead in a minute if we don't. I can fix this."

Sakura wailed like a zombie when a hand gripped the wood that had pierced her chest. Sasuke grabbed her hand. She knew his touch anywhere. He took her face and she forced herself to look at him, hardly able to make him out. She wanted to touch his face or something but she couldn't even…

"You'll be okay. I promise." He said but she knew he was going to tear the wood from out of her palm.

Words words and just more words. She wasn't fine. She had never been fine. If it wasn't one thing it was another or someone or even somewhere. He couldn't stop this. He could save her but he couldn't stop this. No one could stop this as long as-

The wood tore through her chest and Sakura could swear she tasted death on her tongue like morphine.

_**There you have it guys! The end of another chapter! I hope you all have a SPLENDID weekend! Stay positive and stay motivated! **_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	53. Chapter 53

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Three]**

"Sasuke you can do it." Mikoto said in a calm tone that was inches away from snapping like a twig to release a beast in the room no one was ready for.

His face was torn and pained, agony written all over it. "I can't."

"Yes you can. You'll be fine,"

"I won't." He said flatly. "I will not do it."

Silence reigned inside the room as everyone else sat there. Mikoto nodded and held her head high. She looked at everyone in that room even Karin who wasn't one of the knights but had saved Sasuke's ass by a thread. Mikoto's eyes darkened at the sight of weakness on her son's face.

"I warned you." Mikoto said sternly. "I warned you more than once about this girl and where are we now? What do you think happens when more than half our guests are gossiping about the Legeem who only made it to the banquet by the mere skin of his teeth? The disrespect and blatant rebellion they saw in your hours of absence at the _most important _political and social gathering of the year?" she walked over to Naruto and grabbed his shirt pulling him out of his seat. "What they said about his Knights who were absent for the Lighting Sky ceremony!? Their one and only job!? The most important ceremony of the night!? _WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS NOW?!" _She barked throwing Naruto aside.

Sasuke bit the insides of his jaw to stop himself from interfering. Everyone stared at one another but no mouths opened. Silence reigned and Karin shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Mikoto looked around. "Let me tell you what happens. Rebellion happens, war breaks out within clans and the pending uprisings strengthen! If you can do as you please and defy the very council which your family sits upon then why can they not do the same? This is not a game! This is not some joke! Humans will die Sasuke! Millions and millions of humans will be slain, their blood polluting the ocean and seas, bodies piled high. That is part of the rebellion. That is part of their ultimate goal! Not to over throw us it is over throw the Celestial Laws!"

"You don't understand." Sasuke roared frustration grabbing him by the throat. "There is too much you don't know to make such judgment!"

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me I will tear all your damn teeth out! What do you think this is huh? Killing them when they are here? What do you think will happen to us attacking our very own here during this winter? Are you so damn ma!? What would you do when everything crumbles and our house is in ash, your beloved Knights killed because think not that no Kavazwalian can defeat you. Tell me since you're the smartest man with your emotions just. What happens when every Kavazwalian rebels against us? Will your beloved girlfriend be able to save us?" she sneered. "Will this little girl be able to save us when we are driven to the ground, half the human population wiped out clean since her life is worth all of ours in this room right now. Will she save our lives when she cannot even save her own?"

He looked away and the silence was almost painful. She looked all of them in the eye, arms folded and waited for them to reply. Sasuke didn't want to have this conversation. He knew what he was sacrificing by going for her. He understood all that it meant but he couldn't have stopped himself. He couldn't have left her to die.

He also knew that if it was anyone else – that if it was Tenten instead of Sakura he would have convinced Neji that going for her wasn't worth it with so much at stake. He knew that it made him a hypocrite and he couldn't deny that he couldn't think logically when she wasn't safe. He bit down his anger and held his tongue. Mikoto was right but he couldn't leave her. He couldn't.

"What was that? There isn't one person who can answer me right now? That pathetic human girl has your tongue? Have you even thanked her Sasuke you son of mine? Have you thanked this girl who –because of her and her alone- I am granting you mercy?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I have not."

"You turn my heart black as I stare at you and your carelessness. Your father should be here instead of me. All I want to do is run your face to the ground. You haven't even thanked the woman that went out of her way to save your ass walking in here at the end of this banquet as if you are more than us Legeem. She's sitting right there. Do it. Now." She seethed.

Karin held her hands up quickly. "No, no no that won't be necessary Mrs. Uchiha I assure you. It was no problem of mine helping Sasuke yesterday he doesn't need to thank me. Sasuke you don't need to thank me. I understand all that was at stake last night."

"Mikoto I understand what you are saying but I won't leave her." Sasuke said firmly clamping down on his temper.

She didn't understand what was happening or what was going on. She stared at him for a very long time looking him up and down. Sasuke stood there with his arms folded over his chest watching her. He didn't even want to be here having this argument right now. He wanted to be next to Sakura. It was only this morning she awoke.

"I don't care what feelings you have for her." Mikoto said bluntly. "You will get rid of this girl. You are a Legeem. Your power and responsibility does not waver, your strength does not fade and there should be no weakness within or out of you. You have even dragged your Knights into your emotional mess thinking with emotions than your head. She is not more important that what we have going on in our world. Or you don't agree with me? I am doing her a favor."

"Is that so?"

"Don't you dare get smart with me. If it was your father she would have be dead with her heart cut up, her head on a pike at your front gate. `Are you that blind Sasuke?"

"If I leave her she'll die."

"Then she is already too weak for you. With her here she's dead within the hour because people are talking and demons are brewing for that girl as we speak. Do you think you can protect her or something because as far as I can tell you are so weak not even that you can do."

Her words pierced right through him like a poisoned and hot dagger. It cut through him cleaner than he ever expected. Sasuke forced himself not to show any expression on his face as her words slammed into him from every other angle.

"They wouldn't just kill her. They'd break her in ways not even Gods could come from and then you would wish she was dead."

He couldn't tell her what was going on even if he wanted to. That would be too dangerous with ears and eyes everywhere. It would take too long to tell her all the things that no one should know. He couldn't explain this to her but at the same time he could only defy and deny her so much and no more. She'd reached that apex now he could tell but still. He couldn't leave Sakura not after everything that had just happened. She was already weak and in trauma. It would be pure cruelty to leave her –something he had promised her he would never do.

"I cannot-"

"Everyone get out." Mikoto ordered. "Leave us!"

Karin's red eyes lingered on Sasuke for a while as everyone shuffled out of the room. Naruto patted his shoulder as they sauntered out without a word. The door closed and instantly Mikoto's hand slapped against Sasuke's face with enough force to draw a significant amount of blood.

"Now you listen to me and listen to me good. I am not asking you to leave her I am telling you. You have two choices here which you caused upon yourself and do you want to know what those choices are? Either you get rid of her or I'll do it myself and we both know how that ends. You a pillar in the system. What does that mean?"

Sasuke turned his head and spat out the blood that over run his mouth. His hands balled into a fist. He couldn't remember the last time this woman ever put her hand on him and for some reason he could not raise his hand to her like he used to.

"I am a foundation and if I crumble so shall everything else around me." He replied through gritted teeth.

"This girl has you making stupid cataclysmic irresponsible decisions. You are not the only one affected by your choices! You were made Legeem Sasuke because we thought you could handle it yet here you are destroying everything we are striving and working for! And for what?! Some girl that will die on her own accord anyway? You don't have to leave her for good. Until this blows off she must not be a growing concern."

"Yes mother."

"If you make any more stupid decisions your faction will be taken away. Permanently. This is not the time to make mistakes. They will cost us everything."

He stared at her wide eyed. "What?"

Her eyes darkened. "Fix this and fix this now understand? You might be strong Sasuke and I may have weakened over the years but with this situation right now remember that I will be stronger. If I have to crush her into dust to wash away the weakness I see in your face then that is what I will do. What do we say?"

"Weakness is not welcomed in our home."

"And I see weakness Sasuke. I see it everywhere in your face for that girl. Weakness is not acceptable. No one looks to you for that. You have responsibilities and expectations to fulfill. Leave her today before the dinner tonight."

"Mikoto," he said unable to hide the distaste he felt in her name, "I cannot leave her today. Not after all she has been through and the state she is in right now. Are you insane?"

Her eyes narrowed. "_Today _boy, I want it done _today before _the dinner tonight. You will be present. You will be on time. You will do what you're supposed to do. Handle it now. Let this be the very last time we have this conversation. It disgusts me to see weakness in your face." She said with finality pulling the door open and walking out.

He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. His entire body was shaking. For what felt like years Sasuke just stood there unable to wrap his head around all that had taken place over the last twenty four hours. All the problems he had fixed and all the new ones he had caused. The responsibilities they put on him sat taut and prominent on his broad shoulders. He opened the door and Karin was outside sitting in the hall way. She stood when she saw him and dusted off her pants. She flushed.

"I uh…" she coughed. "They went to check on your girlfriend. I thought I'd just wait. It's alright if you don't particularly want me around or anything, I just thought I would-"

Sasuke held his hand up silencing her. "Hn," he said pushing his hand in his pockets.

He started walking and she fell in step with him. His mind was void of all thoughts. The colors were gone from the walls, all the graffiti and all the feeling. Sakura had been so wounded that even now their connection was still gone. His feelings hadn't changed. They would never change with or without his soul. The act of leaving from her sent his mind back to a state of sterility and solitary confinement. There was no way he could do it.

"She's right you know." Karin said as calmly as she could. "She's not safe here. Not with us."

"I know that."

She laughed. "I'm just saying. You know what to do but you're not doing it is all I'm saying. I can tell you want to protect her but you really can't even Keiako has proven that."

"You know you sure have a lot to say."

She tisked. "Right I'll take a hint and lay off. Should I go?"

"Yes." He said bluntly.

She smiled brightly. "Tell you what. I'm not going to the dinner tonight and I'm going to guess by then you'll be devastated seeing as Mikoto wants you to handle this by then. You guys can stop by during the dinner if you get uncomfortable." she waved and easily turned breaking off from Sasuke's general direction.

His heart was racing but he couldn't think. It was like all thought had been erased from his head. He took his car and drove home while listening to his own music. He didn't think a time would come when he didn't like his music. He didn't listen to it all the time but when he did he never hated it. This time he did. He hated it. Soon it would be time to erase himself from human memory and start all over again like being reincarnated. He wasn't getting older and eventually people would start to wonder why and how and then it would be time to erase himself. They had been wrapped up in their own Kavazwalian world before Naruto wanted to come back out of it.

They had lived among humans only a hand full of times before –it wasn't ever all that entertaining for as long as they all expected it to be. Naruto had wanted the human race to notice them in a way they had never been noticed before. Start a band, become famous and devastate the world with their talents, go to parties and school and 'be a teenager this was the best time' and the whole shebang. It had seemed so stupid at the time but here he was having the most eventful and amazing time of his life.

There was a lot of talking when Sasuke arrived home and walked through his halls. His Knights and their significant others were already around. The door was creaked open and he could see Ino sitting on the edge of Sakura's bed holding her hand. His knock was soft-his hands trembling- as he entered.

Ino forced a smile. "Oh hey. Where were you?" she asked.

He shrugged pulling off his jacket. Sakura's eyes weren't open but he could tell that she was wide awake. She wasn't sleeping at all as Ino held her hands, her body relaxed and her breathing calm. Her heart didn't even race by his presence the way it always did.

"I was busy."

Ino nodded. "She hasn't said anything." She informed him. "I've been sitting here all morning. She hasn't said a word."

He stood at the head of the bed and stared at her. Her hair fanned out against the pillow and his brows creased. Almost all her wounds were still raw and open with most of her broken bones still broken. The healing was slow this time even with all of Krystal's help. She wasn't bleeding from her wounds and it was a miracle she was even awake. She was in pain and he knew that. He knew that fire must be licking her open wounds and tearing her bones away from her body.

He swallowed. He didn't know what to say. Not this time. "Sakura?"

She heaved in a deep breath and her eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, glanced at Ino to her left then looked at Sasuke standing and looking down at her. Her eyes were as flat and deep as a road. They were dry and hard. She just stared at him with an eyebrow raised. Her body didn't move.

He shifted on his feet. This was his fault. He should have seen this coming. He should have known better than to leave her alone after the last incident. He should have learnt his lesson but he hadn't and he was paying the price for his carelessness. Her eyes alone spoke for her. They were dead.

Her cheeks were still stained with his blood. He leaned down and touched her forehead. He couldn't do it. He couldn't ever leave her like this. How could anyone expect him to? He kissed her forehead and sat down at the head of the bed and sighed.

"I don't know if she can make it back from this one," Ino whispered brushing Sakura's hair from her face, "I can't even feel anything."

There was a knock on the door and Naruto walked in. His hair seemed extremely yellow today and his eyes ridiculously blue in his white V-neck and khaki cargo shorts. He looked around Ino and sighed.

"She still hasn't said anything?" He asked quietly. Ino shook her head. "Not even a sound of pain?"

"Nothing." Ino said releasing Sakura's hand and getting to her feet. She took Naruto's arm and tugged. "Come on let's give them some privacy."

"But-"

"Let's go." Ino said pulling him through the room door. "I guess you can watch her for a little bit until Krystal comes." She said forcing another smile and closing the door on her way out.

His fingers played in her hair as she laid there, eyes open staring at the ceiling into nothing. The silence was powerful and taut. His mother was right he thought as he stared at her and the undeniable pain she was in all because of him. He did this to her and he couldn't protect her. He gave her more nightmares that he could ever take away. All his life did was toss her around and wound her in a way that he was sure no other human being on the planet could have handled being wounded.

She wasn't safe with him. She wasn't safe around him or anyone else that was like him. They wouldn't stop at this. Whoever it was would not stop until they brought him down and she was the way to do it. Even if they couldn't take out his soul and they simply killed her that would have destroyed him instantaneously.

She had open wounds beating with raw redness and broken bones. She couldn't move her limbs or body even if she wanted to, her heartbeat struck kind of irregular and slow rhythm. She'd been beat up over and over again, she'd almost been killed more times than he could count and had all her bones practically broken more than once yet here she was. Here she was still by his side. He couldn't do this to her anymore.

He gripped the edge of the sheet and pulled it off her to reveal her still and naked body. For a long while he was frozen.

"Grotesque. I know." Sakura spoke finally her voice low, ashy and weak.

He glanced at her. Every single inch of her body was slit, the skin torn open and blood red. Some wounds were disturbingly deep. Slashes and fresh gashes against were embossed in her stomach and breast the skin around them red and risen. She seemed hanging by a thread from infections.

"It hurts?" he croaked.

Sakura said nothing. Of course it must hurt like a million times more than anything she'd ever felt in all her life. How was she going to make it out of this in one piece? He glanced at her red stained face. He was destroying her both inside and out.

"You're leaving aren't you?" Sakura asked.

"No," he replied quickly against his better judgment. "I am not."

She smiled and closed her eyes. She took another deep breath. "It's almost adorable that you think you can lie to me with that wounded look on your face. I'm the one dying here."

He had the urge to touch her face but he knew that too would be painfully for her. He sighed- inside his heart breaking to pieces. "I am not leaving." He repeated. "That's not what this is. I have to think about your safety."

"Ha. What safety?" she retorted.

He dragged his shaking hand over his face. God he was collapsing on the inside. "That's the entire point Sakura. I can't protect you. I want to be able to. I tell myself that I can but the truth is that I can't. This shouldn't have happened to you, none of this should have happened to you. I should have been able to stop all this from happening that's my fucking job as your boyfriend. I can't protect you when everyone in my life wants to take you out."

"You can't leave me." She glanced at him, emerald eyes swimming with unshed tears. He wanted to slit his own throat. "You can't go."

"That's not what I'm doing. I'm not leaving you."

She smiled weakly and touched his face. He watched the cuts on her arm tear open and blood trickle. It's like she didn't even feel them. "Then why are you crying?" her voice was soft and delicate like rose petals in water.

He hadn't even noticed. His entire body was numb he couldn't feel a thing really but when the salted water touched his neck he knew it was true. He felt her thumb graze his cheek, wiping them away. He took her wrist gently and placed her hands back at her side. He leaned over to the nightstand, grabbed the first aid kit and started applying this cream to her arm to stop the bleeding. She didn't even flinch. Who was he without her? What was he without her? He was nothing and no one. What would she be without him?... Alive…she would be alive. He was killing her.

"Don't you feel it?"

"No physical pain can compare to this." She said staring at him running her hand through his hair, her eyes far gone. "Sasuke please don't do this. Please."

He slumped his head falling in his hands. "Sakura I have no choice. They will kill you. Do you not understand that? If you stay you're dead I can't keep you around anymore. They won't hesitate to take you out and that Kavazwalian in you can do so much and no more."

"I'm dead either way." she pleaded her lower lips trembling. "You promised."

And he had. He had promised her that he would never leave her. He had promised her that she would never be alone again and that he wouldn't betray her. He had said those words to her one too many times. He remembered each and every single time they'd come out of his mouth. Every time he said them. His entire palm felt wet, the uncontrollably tears flooding his hand. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to do this but he had to. He had two choices…he had to.

"_You. Promised." _She repeated, sucking in that painfully sharp breath.

"Do you think I want to do this?" he snapped staring at her. "Do you think that this is something I just decided I wanted to do? That I don't want you anymore? I know what I said. I know what I promised but you're a liability to everything that's at stake. At least until everything gets fixed Sakura you _can't _be here. You _can't _be around me anymore. I can't protect you and I can't jeopardize everything here that dictates millions of Kavazwalian lives either."

He couldn't look at her. Even if he wanted to he didn't have the courage and the will to look her in the eyes as he said these things. He couldn't look at her as he forced the words out of his mouth like poison. She was silent for a very long time.

He felt it then. He literally felt his words his home and hit her hard. He felt it sink down into her marrow and he knew she wasn't going to fight against it. She didn't have that energy to battle him or to beg him to stay. Sasuke felt his world crash down on him like an avalanche.

"Is that so?" her voice was lost and gone the tears rushing down her face. They rushed like a roaring river and he saw it. Sasuke saw her heart breaking before his very eyes, crumbling and falling apart. He'd never seen anything like it in his entire life.

There was an earth shattering scream down the hall. Wailing like a banshee the glass next to Sakura cracked. It was horrible and loud. Ino. Sasuke jumped to his feet.

"Tell Ino to leave. She shouldn't be here." Sakura said in a daze. "She needs to go."

Sasuke stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time. There was something in her eyes- something in there he had never before seen. The screaming didn't stop it was coated with beg and agony- so much agony. He dashed through the door to find Ino writhing in pain, veins popping out of her head grabbing her chest. Blood rushed her mouth as she stared at Sasuke in horror.

"What did you d-"

Her back arched and she wailed, bruised marks appearing on every inch of her skin. "Get her out of her. Get her out of here now!" Sasuke commanded.

Shikamaru grabbed Ino instantly. Neji already had the door open and they were already leaving. Naruto grabbed a phone. "I'll call Krystal." He said heading down the corridor with Sasuke. "Teme you didn't."

He gritted his teeth. "Naruto I had to. Mikoto will have her dead in an hour…"

"Are you out of your fucking mind? She's half deluded and near death right now and you thought now when she needed you the most was the best fucking time to dump her?!" he shoved the door open and they froze.

Blood dripped from every wound on Sakura's body as she curled and uncurled tearing the wounds open. Each movement slow her mouth open but nothing came out. The pain was so great her screams were in silence. She staggered to her feet and gasped, chest heaving and stared at them. She gripped her arm pulling at the skin, ripping the cuts open, blood gushed from them but she didn't make a sound.

"Sakura!"

"You don't get to do this. You don't get to do this to me and leave me!" she screamed cracking her knuckles. "You don't get to destroy me like this!" Blood from her body pooled into the carpet. So red. Everything was so red.

Naruto took a tentative step towards her but she shook her head vigorously, holding her arms out, her naked body for the world to see. He'd never seen something as horrific as seeing her then, the brokenness transcending everything he'd ever even thought of.

"Look at me." She cried. "What am I but a corpse without you Sasuke?"

"Get out." Naruto commanded Sasuke instantly. "The only person that comes into this room is Krystal. _Get out and stay out._"

"Narut-"

His blue eyes were sharp and pulled into focus. He could see the shock and complete horror on Sasuke's face. "Leave." He almost shouted. "Leave and don't come back." He growled.

Sasuke left.

_**There you have it guys! Another chapter is done! I hope this wasn't too cliff-hanger-ish of me. I tried not to make it like that. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Reviews don't hurt; as a matter of fact getting reviews is the BEST thing of all my weeks. I get giddy when I see them! **_

_**Loving You Always, **_

_**D.V**_


	54. Part III: Chapter 54

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Four]**

Time is an odd little thing. It had a funny way of seeming to move too fast or seeming to move none at all. There was this limbo that she stood in. Time moved quickly. The new semester had started; she went to school and came home and went to the hospital and came home, Krystal came to check on her bruises and then she went to bed. She sat with Ino in classes, sat with the girls at lunch –sometimes Atona sat with them-, talked to Atona at home, had dinner with the family and Yuji –Rin's husband and Atona's father- who had come home. She woke up and did the weekly routine all over again. Time never stopped, it just kept going and going but she was stagnant. Absent minded, trapped in that little loophole where time was frozen. She was frozen while around her speeded and bombarded around her.

It could have been hours. It could have been days. It could have been years. Most likely thus far it had simply been a few months but it felt as if she was trapped in hell fire for eternity. Everyone knew that they weren't together like they had been flung on separate sides of the world. It was obvious – so blatantly obvious. She was still in a daze barely able to remember even what the idea of living entailed. Food, sleep, clothes, health everything and everyone irrelevant. Monotonous. Mundane. All irrelevant without him.

Her ears had been plugged by heartache and the sudden death that ventured just below the surface of her body. To be honest, Sakura couldn't even remember what talking was like anymore. She hardly ever did it now and hardly ever wanted to. It was so hard not to scream the second she opened her mouth with pain eating her insides. It was difficult not to wail and bawl and bend over forwards and backwards and tear her hair out- it was hard not to scream for help. She kept talking to a bare minimum as best as she could.

The worst was none of those things. The worst was the red head that was always outside waiting for him. Karin. Her smile like a million suns, her hair on fire with a figure now in her skinny state not even in her dreams could Sakura compete. Every day like clockwork. Bright among the snow catching the eye of everyone that looked. She'd stay in the classroom after dismissal and just watch from the window as they all sauntered out and she barreled into Sasuke's arms. He was stiff. They were all were like ply board and she always looked up to the window to wink at Sakura. There was something about her. Something so wrong and off about her.

She wasn't afraid anymore. Sakura wasn't afraid of anything or of anyone anymore and never again would she ever be. Nothing scared her. Not pain or heartache or loss or even death. Her body had become immune to everything life could throw at her now.

Sakura took a deep breath and outstretched her arms in her nightly routine. She was now adorned in risen, pink and red scars. When winter was over she didn't know how or even care to hide them. Krystal stared at her skin from head to toe. Twelve cuts had gotten infected and even though they were healed she still came by ritually. When she was gone Sakura climbed into her bed under the covers and closed her eyes. She didn't really sleep anymore. She didn't really know what sleep was. How could she sleep? Nightmares haunted her like the sun and the stars. Every horrible thing to have ever happened to her and even worse manifested itself even when her eyes were open.

She climbed out of bed and grabbed her pastel paint. She'd been driven to brink of insanity so many times that this is what she spent her nights doing now. Her room walls were cluttered and covered with writings and drawings. Smeared all over with paint and chalk and spray paint and anything else she could find to use even her own blood- those had gone dark as if full of rust on the walls. She stood in the corner and turned on the light without hesitating she continued working on this piece. It was an angle, crouched and bleeding tied up in barbed wire, her wings slit and snapped as she tried to free herself. Sakura's detail was painstaking. Insanity could drill talent into a wounded body, art possessing her and using her as a vessel. It was that or hang herself.

There was a knock on her door. "Sakura a friend is here." Rin called softly.

She sighed. "Busy." She called out pressing the pastel into the wall.

She could feel Rin hovering at the door. Sakura wished she wouldn't but she'd never tell Rin to go away or disrespect her like that. She knew they were all 'concerned' about her whatever that even meant now.

"They'd really like to see you," she tried again.

Sakura didn't even miss a beat. "Bu-sy." Sakura repeated blandly again.

She didn't want to see anyone. Her time frame for seeing people had passed after Krystal left and she'd taken the rest of her medication. The idea of medication made her laugh. She couldn't even begin to comprehend the point of medication when it was doing like nothing.

There was another light knock. "Sakura-Chan? It's me can I come in?"

Sakura fluttered for just a fraction of a second. Instantly she wanted to scream no. she wanted to scream it loud enough to break the glass windows and even shatter the wood but she didn't. She'd learned to control herself and her feelings. She glanced at her messy fingers and sighed. She didn't want to… she put down the paint brush in the can of water and dropped the pallet.

She pulled open the door to stare Naruto in his face blankly. She raised an eyebrow at him. Rin shifted on her feet and smiled.

"Well I'll just leave you two at it then." She said. "I'll bring up some tea shortly then," she smiled patting Naruto's arm and heading down the hall.

He rocked on his feet, his hands tucked into his jeans back pocket. He looked uncomfortable standing in front of her room door at ten in the night. He looked down as if he was ashamed of something. No one had spoken to her since Sasuke left her. Not one of them even tried at least not until now. What was it now? Almost March?

"Hey," He said glancing at her. His blue eyes were extraordinarily blue, bright and luminescent. His orange shirt clung to his broad shoulders, his body tall and lean as he stood before her.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked getting to the point.

She wanted him out of her face. Just seeing him cut into already deep and open wounds. How they just discarded her like she was a piece of trash, as if they had never known her to begin with and as if they had never put her through hell. She had thought they were friends – they had made her believe they were friends but they all left her. All of them cut her out in one big swoop and left her in the ocean to drown. She couldn't make anyone stay; not her mother, not her father, not her boyfriend and certainly not her friends. They weren't her friends. They weren't her anything.

He nodded. "I deserve this." He conceded. He looked at her with earnest eyes. "I wanted to see if you were okay."

"It's a little too late for that." She said frankly. "Anything else? I was doing something."

He cleared his throat. "Can I come in?"

Both her eyebrows shot up to her forehead in question. He seemed so out of place in her home or even in this meager world they had left her. He didn't belong here and she didn't belong there and she knew that now. She knew it and she knew it well. He rocked on his heels and sighed.

"Please. I just wanted to talk." He said. "I know I've been an asshole to you and I just-"

"Did he send you here?" Sakura cut him off. "If he did then get out of my face right now."

"What? No! No Sakura-Chan it's nothing like that. I'm not here to spy on you or anything. I come in peace I swear." He held his hands up in surrender. "You have to believe me…I just can't do it anymore. I can't pretend like you're not around anymore. I'm supposed to but I can't do it. I won't do it anymore. Sasuke doesn't even know I'm here. I miss you… I really really miss you. I swear I'm telling the truth. Please just let me come in. five minutes. Just…five minutes."

"Tomorrow." She said sighing.

His face seemed pained. "Sakura-"

She held her hand up. "Tomorrow." She repeated. "Come back tomorrow or none at all."

He hung his head and nodded. "Okay," he whispered like a wounded animal. "Okay…I'll come back tomorrow."

She didn't even wait to ease the door shut. Her hands were shaking and she hadn't even noticed until now. Her hands were trembling like she had Parkinson's, barely able to lock her door. She heaved in a deep breath –which was painful, deep breathing usually was- and pressed her back against the door. She slid to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest. She stared at her graffiti wall as the tears gushed from her eyes silently just like she had mastered.

Sakura wiped her nose but more tears came like a dam over flowing with water. She pushed herself to her feet and went back to her wall. She didn't take a break or even stop. Her fingers kept dipping in paint, her hands kept moving and she kept painting. She smeared her feelings onto the wall, poured all her emotions and pain into it running it dry from within herself. Even when she became breathless from both crying and standing she didn't stop, pushing herself forward. Her brushes never seemed to even pause as her pain manifested itself into images, colors and shapes.

Why had he come? Why had he come throwing all her hard work out the window and ruining her secure routine into the ground? Why did he do this after such a long time? She couldn't figure it out even with how she tried. Sakura's mind raced with thoughts rumbling and colliding into one another, pushing each other aside and bombarding her as they begged for her attention. She cried as she worked. Her pain silent like a vacuum tightly knitted and coiled. If she ever let it out that would be the end of her.

When her knees finally caved under her it was after five. She laid back on the cold ground. Her eyes closed and the nightmare sucked her in like a black hole, sinking its claws into her getting a good and firm grip. She was drenched in her own sweat when she woke up. Paint had dried on her fingers and she groaned rolling over on the floor.

She felt the bile rise in her throat and soon she was vomiting blood and a mixture of foods into the toilet. The day had officially started again. She gasped over the toilet.

_Ready? _Her inner asked kindly.

She wasn't. She was never ready but she got up and went to school anyways. She took her notes, she studied, she passed her tests, she went to Nakushi Tsukuni Literature Club meetings and she did everything they were expecting her to do. She pushed herself to her feet and got in the shower to begin the routine again.

School was like it always was. She sat next to Ino and she learned. At lunch she played with her food and listened to Ino, Tenten and Hinata talk and have conversation. She had told them that they could sit with Sasuke and the others. Not because Sasuke had broken up with her meant that Ino and Shikamaru couldn't talk or anyone else for that matter. They still had relationships but they had refused to leave her at lunch to sit alone. Occasionally they tried to engage her but it really was a lost cause. Just being around them was all she needed she had explained one lunch. She didn't need to talk. If she wanted to she would they didn't have to try so hard.

She went home and into her room to do her homework and to read. She came downstairs to talk to Atona and socialize with everyone in the house. She ate as much dinner as she could. She'd lost just about a million pounds since the breakup. She didn't feel like she needed food. She was skinny – far skinner than she ever though she would be. When Dinner was finished she went to her room and sat on the edge of her bed patiently waiting for Krystal to appear out of thin air. When she came and left Sakura took her medication and climbed into her bed.

She lay on her back cleaning out her nails in darkness as she waited. There was knocking. She didn't know why she was doing this. She didn't know why she was even talking to him. They had all crushed her in ways she didn't know she could have even been crushed.

"Sakura-chan it's me." Naruto called. "Can I come in?"

She sighed. "Sure," she called.

The door opened cautiously and he turned on the light. His eyes were quick scanning the walls in complete shock. She didn't care what he thought of them or even what seeing them made him think of her. He closed the door quietly behind him and stood there all awkward.

"Sit," Sakura said simply turning on her side and brushing her hair from her face.

He sat in her computer chair and turned to face her. For a long time they just stared at each other in silence. She didn't have anything to say to him or anyone else. Silence didn't bother her so she just waited for him to talk. He pulled on his yellow hair for a moment before dragging his hands over his face and sighing. His head hung as he knotted his fingers together with his arms resting on his thighs. This must be awkward for him. She stared at him blankly.

"He doesn't know I'm here." His voice was husky and lost with his head bowed.

Sakura remained quiet. She wasn't sure if that was supposed to mean something to her. She didn't care who knew he was here she just didn't want him to be here out of orders or because someone sent him to do it. She didn't want that. She wasn't begging anyone to love her. Not many people could. Most of the people who said they did were liars. She was a difficult person to love… Ino knew that.

"Sakura I…" he trailed off at a loss for words. "I didn't…we didn't…I mean I…" he sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. When he met her eyes tears swam in them like the ocean waves in his eyes were now in motion, a back and forth movement that wouldn't stop. "I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I shouldn't have left you. None of us should have. Not the way we did. I know I'm coming around a little too late…I know that but I just…I am so sorry. I am so very sorry for going."

She watched with fascination as the tears of sincerity spilled over his eyes and down his cheeks. Sakura could count on one hand how many times she'd seen a man cry in real life. This was the second time and the more she stared at him the more she believed him and the less she cared. Actions have proven to her why words meant nothing in this world. You can never trust the ones you love. Never.

"What do you want from me?"

Her question seemed to sear through him like a blade and he nodded wiping his face. "Just your company. I want to be your friend again; I don't want you to feel like you're alone. I want to help anyway that I can."

She sat up and stared at him. "I don't think that's a good idea." She said frankly.

"Please I mean I just wanted…I just want to make it up to you." He muttered.

Sakura pulled the covers and got out of bed. She pulled off the hoodie that she slept in at nights and stripped out of her pajama bottoms. She was left in her bra and underwear. She held her arms out for him to see them.

"Just how exactly are you going to make this up to me?" she inquired showing him her destroyed and cataclysmic body.

Not to mention the itch. God her the cuts itched and her skin was tight. Granted Krystal had given her something to shower with that drastically reduced the itching and the tightness but that wasn't the point. She could never for the rest of her life be even remotely pretty. She could never wear shorts or tank tops again. She couldn't wear summer dresses and she couldn't wear bathing suits. She could never let another person see her without her clothes on for the rest of her life. She couldn't even let someone touch her bare arm.

She swallowed down the tears and the sob that threatened to come out of her body. She let him stare at her and all the red, risen ghastly scars on every inch of her skin. Every inch devoured and covered the rest of her skin but a mere dream. They could not make up for letting her become oil slipping through their fingers into the earth into heat, being pumped full and drained dry and somehow misheard and never preserved, to be pierced and driven into dust and hallowed out down to her guts. No. There was no 'making up for this' for even flawless skin couldn't take it back or erase what happened. Nothing could be forgiven. It was neither her place to forgive them nor his place to forgive himself.

"Sakura I-"

She got back into bed. "I think you should go." She said with finality pulling the sheets over her offensive body.

"No I can't go!"

Sakura almost sneered. She really honest to God almost did. He wanted her to forgive him she could see it all over his face. Naruto was desperate for it but she could not forgive him or anyone else. She didn't care if they felt bad. Nothing happened to them. They were not hurt or broken or battered or bruised. He wanted forgiveness for himself so that she could take the guilt away; so that she could rid his conscience and make him believe that he had done nothing wrong and so he could stop beating himself up about it. Apologies were not for her sake it was for theirs, it was for his. He was here for himself and his own reasons and that was selfish but then asking for forgiveness usually was.

"I can imagine just how difficult this is for you and how dare I not understand where you are coming from and just how much my selfish lifestyle has put you through Naruto." Sakura responded. "Leave."

"Sakura it's not like that…I know I failed you-"

"I have school in the morning. Get out." She said forcefully.

She didn't want him here anymore. As a matter of fact she didn't want anyone near her anymore- at least not right now. She heard him rise but he lingered. People seemed to do that a lot when they were around her these days like if they left her alone they'd come back to find her dead on the floor. An option yes and quite possible yes but it was inevitable so their presence couldn't really stop that kind of occurrence.

"I'm not going. I'm going to be back you know. You can't get rid of me,"

Sakura scoffed. "When I don't want you here is when you want to stick around? That's rich even for you. Please to be leaving." She turned on her side away from him.

The light went out and she heard the door close and released the breath she had been holding the entire time. Her eyes stayed open in the darkness as she laid there in bed. She thought of nothing in particular under her blankets.

_Do you want to go paint? _Her inner offered tenderly.

_No. I'll just stay here. _Sakura said. Maybe she was looking into the darkness for something. Maybe she was looking for a way out or an escape she wasn't sure. Whatever it was the sun came up and she still hadn't found it. She puked in her sink. The day had started again.

_**And there you have it guys. I know this chapter is really short and the coming few might be as well. I've been having one of the worst weeks of my life right now but I really, really pushed myself to be loyal and update. I want to REALLY REALLY thank everyone that reviewed the pervious chapter, you guys keep me going I swear. Re-reading them over the past couple days have really uplifted me, I was so glad so many of you had so many nice things to say. I just want to say thank you. Have a great week guys! Try to stay positive, try to stay motivated and take care of yourself! Remember yourself worth and your needs! **_

_**ENDLESS LOVE,**_

_**D.V**_


	55. Chapter 55

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Five]**

Sasuke just laid there his hands tucked behind his head and just stared. He couldn't really tell how long he'd been stuck in this perennial state of darkness counting these abominable stars. He still couldn't forget her no matter how hard he tried. His body felt guttural, raw and weak. He kept counting convincing himself that thinking wasn't going to get him anywhere or change anything.

The doors banged open. He didn't even move. What was the point of all this again? Amid losing the only thing he wanted in life, torturing women who were in their changing and all this chaos he had forgotten the point of everything. What was the point of all this?

"Duuuude," Naruto whined. "You have to get up. How long are you going to stay there sulking?" He demanded.

"She didn't sleep last night. Or the night before that either," was his only response. He said it before he even realized what he was saying.

Naruto sighed and sat down next to him. He leaned back on his hands and stared up at the ceiling that was a cluster of ever changing constellations and galaxies. For a while they just stayed there in silence. If Sasuke opened his mouth too long the pain would seep out, the regret would choke him to death and the insanity would grip him so hard he'd turned into someone even he was afraid of.

"Sasuke," he said carefully, "you have things to do. The Pentetantium demands you to be present."

"These trials and investigations are pointless." He replied. "I think it's more that they enjoy torturing the Huya women and those of other clans more than they care to retrieve any kind of information as their Change progresses. Kitana is dead."

"You killed her."

He shrugged. "That's my entire point Naruto."

"You can't stay here paralyzed forever." Naruto said. "It doesn't make any sense to sit here thinking about Sakura that's not going to change anything."

"This is coming from you who just last week was shouting at me about how ineffective and unfair I was being towards all of you and taking her away from you and blah?" he asked shaking his head.

"Well I've been working on things," he muttered.

"I know you went to see her." he said casually pushing himself into a sitting position and running his fingers through his hair. Naruto was frozen in place as if he really thought Sasuke wouldn't know. Sasuke cut Naruto a sharp look. "Don't let me have to step in. You won't like it." He said getting to his feet.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "What am I supposed to do? Ignore her like everybody else?"

Sasuke felt the rage bite him in his neck. His hands balled into a fist and he closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. "Do not go there." Sasuke warned. "Get up and let's go."

The last thing he wanted to do was talk about that. That would drag a beast of emotions out of him. People didn't understand how hard it was to stay away from her, to force his eyes not to look at her every fucking day he saw her at school. Everything in his house reminded him of her; everything in every place ever reminded him of her. The places he used to take her to eat –his places- and even Almarkham. There was no peace of mind all he could do was think of her.

He couldn't tell the last time he had sat and written a song after their album dropped and they fell of the face of the planet leaving Kakashi to handle that entire sort of thing while they stayed out of the spotlight. After he left her he'd written over a thousand since. Instrumentals, lyrics, and compositions the whole works. His mind was flooded and overrun with thoughts of her.

He remembered the feel of her body pressed against his, fitting into him ever so perfectly like she was made to be there. Her skin was always so soft and her lips that reminded him of heaven. He could draw her to the T even with his eyes closed. Nobody could comprehend the kind of brokenness that was now inside of him; the emptiness and the vastness of the void she left him.

He didn't feel like he was living. He knew she was safe and he knew that since he left her no one had a put a hand on her head or tried to hurt her. Not humans and not Kavazwalians, everyone left her alone. She'd had more peace without him than when she was with him. Every day it was something else when she was under his arm but now, she was okay. He knew he did the right thing, he knew that if she was still here she would just be a shell of her former self or even dead. He knew that but at the same time he hated every single inch of himself for all that he had done to her and the damage leaving her had caused.

God he missed her.

He spent most of his evenings here now on the Pentitantium Investigative Compound on the outskirts of town. The trials had long started since January and they had insisted that Legeems be present for most –if not all- of the proceedings. They all had to figure out how to deal with this drastic change in clan culture and tradition. There were no records in history of this ever happening and so it was new to everyone.

The females were the keepers of dragons. It seemed unorthodox but the women were the riders and the warriors. They were the soul mates or meant masters of these dragons. The men became beasts and the women were the ones to tame them. Hyuga women were always described as being too soft and like the moon, unable to brun things in their wake without remorse. Books said their infrastructure was too feminine and delicate, that they were the ones to tame the wild but never to become the wild themselves. They were created to breed and be the mothers of dragons, their will strong and their heart like jade but jade were not granite or diamond. This was about the Hyuga Clan women specifically. There were female dragons in other clans but there had never been one from the Hyuga line.

Female dragons from other clans had been called in and were being tested. The Changing of the Hyuga women were gruesome and inhumane to watch. No two woman Changed the same which was so unlike the males. The males all went through the same Changes, were affected the same way. Granted no two came out the same –it was birth but the process was the same. It wasn't like that for the women. Hinata's change was completely different from all the others. All the others were completely different from each other. Even after so long there was still little information.

He met Neji on his way over the concrete ground to Building 3 Section 4A where women going through their second change were being held. Neji handed him a file and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I don't get a break do I?" he asked flipping it open and staring at the pages as they walked.

"Hoikon's change has been going on for the past fourteen hours straight. Hiashi is taking care of her right now and needs you to administer the procedures for Hiden while he's gone. She's been in Change for twelve hours. No scales, no smoke but there is fire. He thinks you're applicable for that." Neji began briefing him.

"And you?" Sasuke asked glancing at him.

Neji sighed. "You know how it is."

Sasuke nodded understandingly. He took a deep breath before exhaling. He didn't want to keep doing this- he couldn't keep doing this. He was going down a rabbit hole and he was going down there pretty fast. He hadn't been doing this for a while. He hadn't killed anyone in a while. He hadn't tortured anyone in a while. To be specific Sasuke hadn't dipped his hands in any dirty water for a long time. He had been clean- until now. He was having too much fun doing this and that was the problem.

As he entered the building turning sharply to go down the left corridor, the place shun with glass and metal with high rises and smooth surfaces, the smell of disinfectants in the air and he could hear their phantom screams. Women, women and more women. The darkness in him shun its teeth.

He moved briskly up the stairs, his eyes glancing quickly over the papers turning them up and up and up. He smirked. He was in a new suite today. It was navy blue with his white shirt and tie. It had been pressed to the T thanks to his maid MInie.

"Have they strapped her in?" Sasuke asked reaching the first top flight of stairs taking a right and going down the hall.

Neji hesitated. "With how you do things they weren't sure what you'd prefer."

Naruto's hand touched Sasuke's shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It's not a matter of sure or not." Sasuke answered distantly. He glanced at Neji. "I do as you ask. My method is my business and mine alone correct?"

Neji nodded. "Freedom by the Pentitantum."

Sasuke pushed open the clean glass doors and entered into section A of the building. He pointed to the elevator. "Then let us make our descent into the chaos." He said getting on the elevator which was headed to the ground floor.

Complicated building for the complicated businesses. As Sasuke looked through the file he came up on another girl. She was Neji's fourth cousin twice removed. Her name was Tanjali and a fairly beautiful girl. He looked at Neji.

"What's this?"

"Tanjali. They figured if there was anyone who could do standard tests on her without causing too much ruckus it would be you. She was pulled in twenty minutes ago while you were on break. Her blood work and Keeper History are all in there." He said.

Sasuke shook his head and pulled out the papers slapping them against Naruto's chest. "She's all yours."

He rolled his eyes. "I really don't want to do this."

"Too bad." Sasuke said stepping off the elevator. "I've got a woman who has been in change for the past twelve hours without the symptoms of said change and she breaths fire. I'm absolutely positive Tanjali won't be any trouble for you. They're being dragged in dime a dozen. The Pentitantum doesn't intend to let us go home until they've milked us dry. The sooner this is over the better. Get to it." He said turning on his heels and leaving them.

Hiden had sky blue hair and ocean crossed eyes. When he walked into the room she was huddled in a corner and she was on fire. A tall man in a white lab coat was already in there. Sasuke dropped his file on the work desk and began to take of his jacket. The man glanced at him with wild and tired eyes.

"No after you." He said politely.

She wasn't screaming and Sasuke assumed it was because after twelve hours the pain kind of gets to you and leaves nothing to scream about. He stood in front of his desk and admired all the equipment they had laid out for him. There was a fire extinguisher in the corner and he almost laughed. He rolled up his sleeves and slapped on his gloves. He glanced up at the list taped to the wall above the desk of all the information they would need and all the test they'd need to run from her. He had his work cut out for him.

He picked up a covered plastic container shaped like a conical flask. The liquid was black as night and he knew it was Opi Venom. Opi Venom came from Kavazwalian Opas which were large two headed animals with no eyes and oozed black viscous venom that could burn a dragon's scaly armor. Opas were rare –extraordinarily so seeing as it was hard for them to be contained in a human cloak, impossible for them to mate or survive the climate here. The environment contained much more alien stimulants, their long skeletal like antennas unable to function the way it used to. Their venom though were nasty suckers.

"I don't even want to know how they obtained this." He muttered to himself.

There was a laugh. "Opi Venom. Nasty stuff."

Sasuke glanced behind him at the man as he clasped something over a bottle. Hiden's fire was held within it. He smiled wiping the back of his hand over his face.

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked mildly irritated. "As you must have seen, I've got a long list."

He flushed. "Yeah sorry." He muttered holding his head down and scurrying through the door. Sasuke locked it and shook the jar. He looked at Hiden and smiled.

"Don't come near me!" she warned her eyes lighted, fire shooting up.

Sasuke took up a syringe and pulled in the venom in it before locking back the lid. Twirling it in his hand he crouched in front of the flames. She was going to be fun. If he had to choose –and he admitted it was wrong that this was even something he was thinking about- between those going through the early changes and those like Hiden he would chose Hiden every single time. It was still a mystery why some women's changes took even twenty four hours while others hardly even took twenty minutes.

"Hello Hiden. My name is Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha. These are standard procedures ordained and conducted under the order of the Pentitantum. While at this time you are under the Changing we assure that these tests are a necessary precaution that we must take with each and every one of you. I have been assigned your case on the grounds of your Changing being an unexplainable ongoing case. This is for your well being as well as for those within your clan and affiliated thereof." He said the line very much rehearsed. "While this is going to be fun for me," he said stepping through the fire. "It is going to be very painful for you. In hindsight I apologize."

She cowered in the corner, fire licking over her skin. He held up the syringe and gripped her flaming throat. He didn't like them strapped down. It limited his freedom and his perspective. "Let's see if we can get those scales going."

He didn't hesitate to pierce her skin, sending the venom into her flesh. She shrieked with pain so intense the entire corner exploded in flames, blazing tall and hit. The veins taught and black under her skin, smoke coming out of her mouth. She grabbed Sasuke in insanity, slamming his body into the wall; the syringe flew out of his hand his eyes illuminated. Her fire started burning his neck and he smiled, the darkness wrapping around him like sex.

He closed his eyes and felt the pain, this physical pain that was strong enough to drag him out from under himself and the smell of his rotten flesh, drag his mind away from her. Finally he could breathe; Hiden's nails pierce his neck drawing his blood. The physical pain brought him into the moment. His eyes opened and he smiled at her like he was in love with her, grateful. He decided then that he liked her.

~O~

His hair was disheveled and he was covered in everything from blood, opi vemon, salvia and other things he really did not want to remember. To say that Sasuke was tired at one in the morning would have been an understatement. He was seated in his office with his desk staked from flat paper work to scrolls. He just got back from the investigation compound and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about more business.

Now that he was done torturing Hinata's relatives he was empty and depressed. It was now after a long day he wanted his home but he'd left his home and there was no way he could get her back. Everyone shifted in their seats. They too were tired strung out over the place.

Shikamaru slid the last report across the table into Sasuke's pile.

"That's it?" He asked and they all nodded.

"That's it." They agreed.

Sasuke sighed. "Alright before anyone goes. You all know we have personal business to discuss."

They groaned. Naruto slumped visibly in his chair. "You know this entire thing is starting to piss me off. What else are they going to make us do? Grounds keeping?"

"They're keeping us on a tight leash to watch our movements. They all want to know why Hinata isn't changing when she's been right here in this town with us while Ramora who was practically halfway around the world has. With that said, updates everyone. Just throw them out there. I'd really like to call it a night."

"They've set the date for our wedding." Neji said. "I got the envelope this morning. I didn't want to say anything on the job but well there is no getting around it. It's during the Vijave Celestial Festival."

For a while the room was silent. There was nothing Sasuke could do to stop it and at this point in time there was nothing he could possibly do to lessen the blow. Naruto cleared his throat audible.

"The meeting this morning with the Creston and Itachi's council took place. The treaty was signed but there is still debate over the lands. I think that's why we have Kavazwalians who aren't in our regions still lulling around Kanoha. There are still too many of us here Sasuke for far too long." Naruto said.

"And while the barriers aren't weakening," Hinata said head down, "There are a few watching us still."

He tapped his pen against the table. "Has anyone come in contact with Sakura or Tenten?" He asked her name like acid in his mouth burning his insides. The urge to grip his head and scream was so strong his hand balled into a tight fist, his nails sinking into him palms that seemed to now have permanent dents into them from how often he did that.

"Aside from the one last week your Black Blades haven't spotted any." Shikamaru said. "To be fair Karin is drawing extra attention to the school which is where most have them have been watching. While you haven't glanced their way in a while the connection is still there."

"Karin provides intel on the Phoenixes, sirens, the Fire Airborns and their allies. The whole point of the gathering lasting so long is for political and social order. The whole ordeal has shaken the sirens which –fortunately could have been salvaged- but there are more of us that we need to keep on par. We have eyes on her. If she does anything I don't like then we'll get rid of her. Otherwise do you want me to turn the opportunity she brings us down?"

"I get that we need leverage," Naruto said, "but having her at school right as the bell rings waiting on us is starting to look suspicious. While I know if they grab her you won't be concerned she can easily let Sakura's name slip out or someone else's here in this room which can cause a lot of problems."

"Somewhere else would be better." Neji agreed. "I can't stand her but she's a good guanine pig to have I'll give it that and it'll be worth it to keep her around."

"Also she does the wink thing at Sakura at the top window every evening that breaks her heart. As her friend I'd like her gone." Hinata said holding her head high. "She's trying to get into your pants and while your bed business is just that –yours- Sakura doesn't need Karin's advances in her peripheral."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry she does what?"

"She winks. She winks at Sakura every day after school." Hinata sighed and slumped. "Everyone knows she watches. Don't act like you don't know Sakura always watches you leave."

"Speaking of which what's our update on her?" Shikamaru asked quickly changing gears before Sasuke could sever his own head.

Nobody could ever comprehend how much this affected him. No one knew how much Sakura had changed him and all the goodness that he had to turn away not only for her safety but for theirs. He felt like a rampant monster without him, darkness overlapping and swallowing him. The oxygen was sucked from the air and the sun wasn't nearly hot enough anymore to warm his skin. Sasuke didn't even recognize the sunset, it had lost all its luster and color and hues. It looked not nearly as marvelous as it had when she was with him.

"If you would just talk to her then you would all know. I don't see why you can't. Most the Kavazwalians have gone and the most important treaties have been signed."

He didn't want to hear about her but he had no choice. "Hinata you know why we can't. So far no one has tried to harm her in any form of way and we've all established that Sakura's safety is one of our top priorities. We can't afford to jeopardize that or anyone else for that matter. There are still too many of us here."

"Sasuke have you even seen her?" Hinata demanded. "She doesn't even talk to us anymore. She doesn't say anything and she doesn't eat anything. She doesn't sleep at all it's like she's barely living. How long are you going to do this to her?"

Anger flared through him like a match. He wanted to bash her skull in and rip her spine out through her back. He was the leader and this was the position he had been put in. He had responsibilities and a job to do not just to Sakura but to them and every other Kavazwalian around. They weren't in his shoes; they were not in his position and couldn't possibly understand the choices he had to make. What else was he supposed to do? He had two choices and while both of them probably involved Sakura being dead one way or the other, one had her living longer. He couldn't have her in so much danger or have his mother kill her –something he knew she could do with the flick of her mere tongue if she wanted to.

Sasuke cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders willing his self to be calm. Self control was always crucial though it was harder than ever these days. That's how Kitana had died. It wasn't an accident either granted that no one but him would know that. He'd gotten so caught up in her screams and the darkness and the thrill, the second when finally Sakura wasn't in his head at all but without her…without here he was insanity incarnate. He killed her so slowly even he was impressed with himself.

"She's alive Hinata. I am able to keep her alive by keeping her out of this. I am able to keep millions of humans and Kavazwalians alive right now by keeping her out of this. It would do you well to understand that." He responded as calmly as he could.

"She'll be dead before summer!" Her hands slammed against the table. "No one sees that? She's not in my visions anymore Sasuke. She's not in any of them! Are all of you going to sit here and let that happen? Do you think if you got rid of her then she'd be fine and death wouldn't know where to find her? That you've suddenly bought her time? Sasuke Sakura has never had time –with or without you. No one even fucking asked her! _You _just got up and decided that leaving her was the best thing to do but you didn't even ask her. You didn't even sit down and consider what she wanted." She ran her hands through her hair and sighed.

Neji grasped her hand. "Hinata-"

She ripped her hand away from him. "Don't touch me. She's my best friend and you all just got up and left her. All of you just got up and turned your backs on her. You don't know what it's like to sit there and watch her die Sasuke."

But he did know. Sasuke knew what that was like better than any of them ever would –or could- understand. He'd been watching Sakura die since the moment he decided not to stay away from her. He'd been watching the life inside of them dim every day, the nightmares cake under her nails because of him and the madness take her. He had seen the pain so deep not even he could understand it. He could feel it. He knew better than anyone else in this room what she felt like…the brokenness he had caused since he came in contact with her.

He knew. He knew what he had done. He knew it was his fault. He had done this to her and he couldn't undo it no matter how badly he wanted to. He'd watch her suffer and bleed and cry…he watched Sakura's spirit and hopes and dreams die multiple times. He has seen her die a million times in his head, he had seen her less than corpse on his bed…he knew better than anyone else what that was like. That was something he could never un-see.

He couldn't open his mouth to Hinata, her words like acid in his bone deep open wounds. He did the best he could have done. What else was he supposed to do? What other choice had he been given? He had been given none. This was all his responsibility; all of this rested on his shoulders not theirs.

_What other choice did I have? _He asked himself.

"You just left her like that like she was nothing and no one. When she dies Sasuke this world turns upside down and inside out. I don't know how and I don't know why but people are going to get fucked and you want 'updates' on her? How fucking dare you." She sneered storming out.

Sasuke felt the wounds inside of him break open like they did every day and they started to bleed. He held his hand up. That was enough for the night. He rose from his seat, adjourned the meeting and went to his room where the heartache and the madness took him tenfold like it always did.

He couldn't keep doing this. He didn't know how to. He didn't know how to keep going, to keep giving orders and to keep working. He didn't know how to be human anymore and the more time she was gone the more he couldn't bear the thought to ever go back to that place where feelings ruled him. He slid to his knees, bent at the waist with his fingers tangled in his head. He couldn't even breathe; the tears seemed to pool into his floor like a hose, never ending. He couldn't keep doing this.

"What other choice did I have?" he wailed shaking his head, unable to even think. What other choice did he have? He let the monster have him.

_**And the end to another chapter! I had to ensure that you all got a piece of Sasuke's side. I know I don't focus on Sasuke as singularly as I focus on Sakura in this story but I felt that this was a necessary chapter. I would love to know what you all think. Wow! So many reviews, I can't even tell you all how grateful I am. You all made my weekend and I can never thank you all enough for that with the weeks I've been having. **_

_**Forever Grateful,**_

_**D.V**_


	56. Chapter 56

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Six]**

Sakura watched as Hinata broke down, tears spilling over her beautifully angelic face. Tenten draped her hand over her shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," Tenten soothed.

Hinata shook her head. "It's not." She sobbed.

Ino sighed and dropped her grapes as if she'd lost her appetite. She pushed her lunch tray away and wiped her hands. The date for their wedding had been set and apparently this was devastating her. Ino placed her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand, staring at Hinata with a blank expression. She checked her nails and yawned. Sakura knew that being an empath Ino was more affected by Hinata's tears.

Ino had gotten impeccable control of her powers. Who wouldn't after being around so many emotionally damaged and deranged people on a daily basis? There was hardly any hint that Ino was feeling anything except probably nonchalance and boredom.

"Neji belongs to you."

Tenten laughed. "He doesn't belong to me. I get that this can't be changed don't worry about me or about the nonexistent us. I know you think this is the worst thing to ever happen but you don't know that. Things could get better."

"She strongly disagrees." Ino said idly. "Plus side we might all end up dead before the year is done. If that's true then you won't have to get married to him or have his babies and that sort of thing. Look on the bright side." Ino said sarcastically.

They laughed and Ino smiled. Hinata laughed. She actually laughed and hiccupped. She sniffed and wiped her face. There were bags under her now redwashed eyes. She sighed heavily.

"What a mess huh?" she asked laughing.

"Tell me about it." Ino said blandly. "I mean If things couldn't get anymore fucked up I'd surprised. Look at this shit?"

Sakura bit into her apple and chewed as slowly as she could. Everyone knew that this was going to happen one way or the other. They weren't going to wait very long to marry them off after fighting about it for such a long time. They were supposed to get married in June at one of their popular Kavazwalian festivals. There wasn't anything anyone could do. This was just one of those inevitable and life changing events that couldn't be altered or changed no matter how much they tried or even what they wanted.

Sakura held out her hand with the apple towards Hinata. Hinata smiled and took a bite out of it before handing it back. Words were meaningless and she'd learned that the hard way. People will say things that are true to them in the moment but gone the next. Words don't last long- they never have and they never would. Words don't create monuments and towers, medicine and clothes or even books. Words by themselves are none existent. When you spoke them you couldn't even see them, lightweight but capable of so much heartache. Once your eyes become opened to their uselessness things become brighter. Actions count.

The day trudged on like it always did –or so she thought. The doors opened and she didn't even turn her head to look. She knew it was them already and she wasn't interested. The cafeteria still went silent when they entered any space. Sasuke wasn't with them. These days he never usually was. She couldn't feel him the way she always did, his presence hung in the air and seemed to diffuse right into her very flesh. Her stomach rolled and for a second, she thought she would be sick. She almost laughed at that. She already was. Ino shook her head sadly and turned her attention back to the table. She just wanted the day to be over but by this time, Sakura just wanted everything to be over.

Her monotonous lifestyle kept her from tipping over the edge but she was still standing there. Her Therapist Changling right now was unsure of which way to take things with their sessions with Sakura's sudden and drastic change in persona. They had apparently been making magnificent progress but even she is unable to thoroughly figure out what's happening. There had been talk about admitting Sakura into a mental institution for trauma but with none of her actions harming herself or others around her Changling was still reluctant. Sakura didn't care.

Sakura finished eating and headed to the bin to empty her tray.

"Can I help you?" Sakura asked and she started dumping the contents of her tray into the bin without even looking at Naruto as he stood next to her.

"I signed you up for the graduation Art Project." He said quickly.

She calmly placed her tray on top of the bin and turned to him. Everyone in the entire room was staring at them almost shocked. Silence reigned around the room. None of them had approached since that day in winter. Not in public. They scorned her like she was leper and rancid- like she was some stray animal.

"You did what?" she demanded her eyebrow raised with her arms folded over her chest.

He cleared his throat and scratched the back on his head rocking on his heels awkwardly. "You know the art project? They weren't going to allow us to do it but it was pretty easy convincing the principal to allow eight students from our graduating class to have the entire wall near the outside basketball court. Graffiti would be pretty cool there. You're on the list. I put you on it." He said sheepishly his cheeks turning red.

Sakura sighed heavily and shook her head. "I don't want to do any stupid art anywhere." She said simply turning on her heels and heading back to her table.

"I did it for you."

She turned to look at him. "You're not even supposed to be talking to me."

"You didn't give me much of a choice." He shot back. "Your aunt said you didn't want her to let me in and your windows were shut and _locked _for the past weeks. How else am I going to see you?"

"That's the point."

"Yeah well sucks for you then cause I'm not going anywhere so you're just going to have to deal with me." He said childishly and defiantly.

The corner of her lips twitched minutely. What was she supposed to do? She didn't want them coming back into her life. It was March and apparently the Kavazwalian's –most of them- were still in town making treaties and having meetings and whatever else. Not to mention the trials for the female dragons had started in January and that was a huge thing right now Hinata had told her. The place was going to be crowded for at least a few more months.

Sasuke was not coming back. None of them were and she couldn't…she couldn't let them back in. However Naruto stood there with determination in his eyes. She rolled her eyes and turned going back to her table. She didn't want to think about this and she didn't want this on her head anymore. She sat down and of course everyone stared at her.

"What was that about?" Tenten asked curiously.

Sakura shrugged. "Graduation Art Project,"

"They approved that crazy idea?" Tenten asked stunned. "I didn't know you could draw," she noted.

"I can't."

Ino looked at her and draped her hand comfortingly around Sakura's shoulder. "Once upon a time you used to." she corrected.

Besides Rin and Naruto, Ino was the only person to see inside of her room right now and she was the only person who would sit up with her all night some weekends and talk about a million different things while she worked. Sakura rested her head on the table. Her body was trembling and she had the urge to vomit out her insides.

Tears a washed her eyes and she let them fall on her blue jeans without even stopping them. Why was he here? Why was he talking to her now after so much time? She didn't want to go back there anymore. She didn't want to be dragged back into this mess more than she was already in it. Hinata served as a correspondence between them and that was enough. Ino and Shikamaru was still a strong and beautiful couple. What else did they need from her?

She wiped her eyes and stared at the floor as lunch dragged on. When she was at home she stayed in the living room with Atona where they did their homework together. She reminded Sakura of Ino. They could be friends if they didn't hate each other so much and if they actually tried. Atona was a bitch –even now- that was just part of who she was but she wasn't unbearable, she wasn't annoying and she wasn't even close to as shallow as people thought she was.

Rin and Yuji were both at work and wouldn't be home until late which meant no family dinner. Atona ordered take out and they sat on the floor while they ate and watched television. There was something so normal and nice about actually being friends with her now and living in the same house together. It was hard but she managed to hold down her food and finished watching the movie with Atona before heading up to her room. It was Friday and Ino would be over tomorrow from eight. She'd become an early bird since she started her Reading Of Novellas phase in life.

Krystal came and Sakura mentioned that her skin was painfully tight. Krystal fixed that and handed her a bottle which was supposed to help her keep her food down easier because she was looking 'ghostly thin these days' and then she left. Sakura combed out her hair on her bed. She'd gotten rid of all the mirrors in her room and covered the ones in her bathroom. She didn't appeal to herself much anymore.

While she combed her hair she watched him as he shimmed into her room through the window. His bright yellow hair seemed to reflect light as if it was wet. He didn't even wear soft colors so late at night. He was in a bright sky blue V-neck T-shirt and colorful Hawaiian shorts with tie-dye vans. He was like light coming into her room.

"You left it open!" he grinned.

For a moment she just stared at him in complete shock. She couldn't believe him as she stared at him grinning widely and standing there, hands on his hips. She wanted to laugh. She had the strong urge to do so but she refused to do it.

"Pretty impressive eeh?" he asked his blues eyes lighted.

"Yeah I left it open. I'm thoroughly impressed by your ability at breaking and entering." She commented brushing through the rest of her hair.

"Correction. There was no breaking and technically the window was already open." He said laughing awkwardly and taking a seat. He coughed. "Why did you leave it open?"

That was the million dollar question wasn't it? "I haven't figured it out yet." She said simply. "You've been trying to get in for the past week I suppose it just makes sense."

"Well thank y-"

"Take me off that list." She said cutting him off. She didn't want to hear him say what he was going to say. She didn't want to have that conversation.

"Why?"

"I don't want to be on it."

"Have you seen this?" he asked gesturing to her walls. "Have you really taken a look at all this? You're fantastic. I didn't even know you could draw. We hurt you and you deserve to be heard and I know that's probably the stupidest most idiotic thing you've ever heard and you don't even need to hear me say because I have no right at all. I know I can't make up for any of this, I can't and I can't take it back I just…I thought you would like to… it's art and I figure that it helps." He explained.

She couldn't argue with him there now could she? She didn't want him to stay long nor did she want to have any kind of deep and meaningful conversation. Emotions were unchartered territory for her now and she didn't want those lines crossed. With that said he did stay a significant amount of time before she told him to leave. He understood and left but not without emphasizing that he would make this up to her and all that jazz.

Truth be told it wasn't his job to make anything up to her. It wasn't his job to even be sorry or try to start back a relationship with her. He wasn't obligated but as she watched him –this time quickly and soundlessly- slip through her window she couldn't deny that at least unlike everyone else he was trying and making a conscious effort.

Even that hurt her more than she could have imagined. His efforts alone seemed to break her heart even more and Sakura sank to her knees, hands wrapped around her stomach as the sobs came. The gaping hole inside of her for them…for him could never and would never be filled. Her death loomed above her and all she could do was cry as she dragged herself into bed. There was no way…Sasuke…

~O~

A hand grabbed Sakura and she shot up with a start. Neji held a finger to his lips quickly his eyes ghostly white in the darkness. She stared at him wide eyed barely able to make him out in the darkness. He gestured silently to the window. Sakura rubbed her eyes and sighed.

_What now? _She asked herself pulling off the covers and scampering out of bed. She grabbed her jacket and shrugged it on without question. He was quick and slick as eel as he jumped through her window. Maybe one time jumping through a two story window would have frightened her or made her heart race. Now she felt nothing. Feet first Sakura shimmed out her body plummeting to the ground. He caught her quickly and started walking briskly.

"I'll like you to know that unless you want me to die before we reach wherever we are going you ought to slow down." Sakura said in a sleepy voice not even remotely trying to hurry.

She wasn't about to bring on an Asthma attack on herself for this guy and make whatever was wrong worse. Neji turned to look at her. He was in a long sleeved big white shirt and black baggy shorts. His feet were bare and his brown hair caught in a ponytail at the back of his head. He looked like he could be stressed.

Sakura's feet crunched against the ground as they walked. She didn't ask questions like where they were going or what was wrong or even what he could possibly need her for. As long as her girls were fine she couldn't care less what was going on right now. She had very little interests in all the happenings of the world. What she was concerned about was seeing Sasuke. That…that always fucked her up any time she was around him. Always. It brought feelings back to her full frontal.

He stopped at the intersection and turned to her.

"It's Hinata," He said then concern raw in his eyes.

"And?"

He took a deep breath. "She keeps asking for you." He turned and crouched. "Stay calm. Don't let go. Get on." He said simply.

Sakura climbed on him without question. There are no words in the human vernacular to describe what happened next. It happened so fast that Sakura hardly even had time to come to terms with it. There was a loud thunderous sound like a lion amplified enough to destroy eardrums. The earth shuddered underneath and suddenly Sakura was touching the sky. He transformed and he was as big as a sky scraper. The intersection wasn't big enough to hold him.

With one flap they were in the air. It had been a long time since Sakura went into shock but now she was. Sakura was seated at the base of his neck his scales so white like the moon they were almost lavender. Some protruded from his neck and Sakura gripped one, her small hands unable to even wrap around it fully. This wasn't happening. The world was but a blur beneath her and she dared look behind her. His body was long and powerful; his body extending and moving further and faster than her eyes could keep up with. His wings were gargantuan, spread wide and strong the air crying as they moved. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real. This couldn't possibly be real. She was imagining all of this. There was no way in this world or the next she was riding a dragon. This wasn't real. She knew what he was but she'd never thought...she'd never imagined…Sakura was on the brink of passing out.

_Sakura hold on. _Her eyes almost popped out of her skull. _This might nauseate you. _

His body started descending. She closed her eyes leaning into him, almost disappearing into the scales at the base of his neck. Deep breathing she tried to calm herself. She was going crazy. This was crazy. This couldn't be real thing but his feet landed hard on the ground his wings folding into his sides and before she knew it she was on the ground.

The world spun around her and she heaved turning on her side. She didn't want to do this but the bile rose up like acid in her throat anyway.

"Shit!" he grabbed her hair as Sakura erupted her guts on the ground. "Sorry I know that's a little traumatic. It was the fastest way to get here."

Sakura heaved again gasping. The place was still spinning as she staggered to her feet unsteadily. She never –ever- wanted to do that again. Her eyes rolled over and she stumbled back a little. That couldn't have been real even as he guided her through a back door, down an extraordinarily long corridor, up some steep stairs and into another long dark and damp torch lit corridor and into what could have passed as a dungeon filled with Hinata's screams she still could not believe it. God she was going to be sick again. Still she had never seen anything so beautiful.

Everyone was already there strung out about the room and all heads turned to look at her as she entered. Bed head, pajamas and half out of her mind she could have imagined how beautiful she looked. Hinata was encased in a circle and scales the color of her hair adorned her skin and face, her eyes sharp big and almost feline as Sakura stared into them. The change was getting somewhere now. Smoke blared from her nostrils and she met Sakura's eyes and Sakura fell into a trance.

"Make it stop," she begged.

Sakura smiled a ghostly smile. "Get up." She said standing at the edge of the circle. She could feel Sasuke's eyes on her. Hinata writhed on the floor.

"Sakura she can-" Shikamaru's voice was cut off by Hianta's scream. Sakura held her hand up before putting it to her lips.

Sakura crouched down and titled her head to the side staring at her blankly. "Hinata. Get up off the floor." Sakura commanded.

"I…can't."

"Yes you can." Sakura urged. "Get up."

Sakura watched intensely as Hinata struggled to get on her hands and knees. Sakura didn't take her eyes off the girl as her nostrils blared and steam rose from her flesh. It reminded her of the dream she had on the night of Hinata's first Changing. She'd dreamt about this too but that had been so long ago she had never thought anything of it. How did she dream of this? She wasn't entirely sure but she had.

Hinata cried out with her shaking limbs. Her elbows made a snapping sound and she shuddered. Her nails scraped against the floor, blood running from her finger tips. She opened her mouth and sobbed in pain, bawling as she tried to stand. She shook her head.

"S…akura…" Hinata groaned.

Sakura didn't waver. "I said get up off the floor Hinata." She commanded. "Get up now."

"Obviously she can't-"

She cut Sasuke the coldest look she could muster. "Don't interrupt me. Ever." She clipped coldly dragging her gaze from her and back to Hinata.

Hinata heaved and Sakura craned her neck and watched as Hinata struggled to her feet. She swayed a little. She gasped and slowly Sakura stood. She directed Hinata's gaze.

"Look at me." Sakura said gently meeting Hinata's eyes and stepping into the circle with her. She touched Hinata's face which was hot and burnt her, it felt like she was burning through Sakura's palm but she didn't even flinch or pull her burning hand away. "It doesn't hurt."

Hinata shook her head. "It does!"

"Shhhhhh," Sakura soothed taking her face and pulling it in closer. "This doesn't hurt Hinata. This isn't what's hurting you. You have been through worse. It's going to be okay. _Everything _and _everyone _is going to be okay. You're going to be fine. Before I got here you didn't even think you could stand on your own two feet while this happened to you but you're standing right now." Sakura soothed taking the plunge and hugging her. "You can do this. Just breathe."

It had started to burn, her skin hard with the scales but now Hinata was just warm. She was warm like a lullaby at nights, warm like dream catchers after they caught all the nightmares, warm like sea water at night. Since Sakura had known this girl she had never –not once been warm- not until now.

The pain wasn't the change she was going through right now. The pain was the realization that she was stuck in this situation and that this couldn't change. She would never have Naruto and she would have to marry Neji. She would have to bare his sons and daughters and it was custom that she have more than four. She would have to spend her life with him and stand by his side as his wife for the rest of her life. She would have to follow tradition. She was losing everything she wanted. That pain…that was the pain she was feeling.

Hinata sobbed in Sakura's arms, the circle pulling the energy out of her. Her body went from scaly to skin to scaly to skin over and over again. Sakura didn't know how long she sat there in that circle with Hinata, talking her through the change. It felt like it could have forever but her scales turned to skin one finale time, the circle's glow died out and then she was simply asleep.

Almost everyone was out of the room by that time. They had left them alone. Sakura slinked Hinata out of her hold and Neji stepped in to take her sleeping form into his arms. He titled his head to the door and Sakura coughed and got to her feet and followed him out the room. She was exhausted now, barely able to breathe and keep her eyes open as she walked; winded.

"W…wait." Sakura gasped her palm against the wall as she paused to catch her breath. She held her head down and heaved.

"Sakura…" Neji trailed off.

Right. No one knew what to say to her. She was the anomaly in their plans, the one thing that stood out and created more problems that it was worth. The girl that always got beat up and kidnapped, the dead weight and they couldn't live down the shame that after tossing her aside they needed her help. Of course she was a disease that festered and no one knew how to talk to her. She met his eyes then but it was hard to keep them open as she tried to slow down her heart.

"I can never thank you enough for doing this."

"Don't thank me. I didn't do anything for you." She said blandly.

He nodded his head and looked at Hinata in his arms. He smiled sadly. "Either way…thank you."

She pushed herself from the wall and gestured ahead of her. "Just lead the way." was her only response.

She went into the living room where everyone was as Neji went up the stairs with Hinata. The place was gigantic in more ways than one. Everyone looked at her, even Karin who seemed to have been engrossed in an important conversation with Sasuke before she entered. Sakura didn't even know what the girl was doing here at this time when this was none of her business. Sakura didn't look in his direction though she could feel his eyes on her.

"I'd like to go now." She said loudly.

Her business was done now. The changing was over, Hinata was fine and the sun was coming up. She had a doctor's appointment later and a much needed session with her therapist among other things. She didn't want to stay here with them longer than necessary. She swallowed and ran her hands down her pajama pants. Her muscles ached- under oxygenated. She herself was impressed with how much and how quickly her body was deteriorating.

Karin jumped to her feet. "Why don't you just stay?" she asked kindly and hopefully. "Maybe eat some food or something before you go? You've been down there for a really long time."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm aggressively un-hungry." She said frankly. "I would like to leave."

Karin looked at Sasuke and smiled. The silence was awkward and she sat back down scratching her head. Naruto laughed to diffuse the tension. His smile was broad and he held out his hand. Sakura hesitated but took it. She didn't have much of a choice. She had no idea where she was or even how she would get home without one of their help.

"I'll gladly do the honors." He said confidently.

There was a cough and Karin laughed. "See! Remember what I told you." She said to Sasuke.

Sakura's head almost snapped off her body. Sakura stared at Karin wide eyed like déjà vu. She stumbled back a little bit. That voice. That line.

"wha-what did you just say?" Sakura whispered titling her head slowly. Suddenly there was no air in her lungs at all.

Karin stared at her and grinned sheepishly. "Just a little bet between me and Sasuke about Naruto offering to bring you home or not." She laughed.

Sakura felt all her bones being broken all over again like that night and the world spun around her. It was her. Karin looked at her so innocently, her eyes redder than sin incarnate. Her voice had sounded so familiar that night but she hadn't…she hadn't heard it enough to remember it. She couldn't have put a face to voice at least not until right now.

_I'm going to kill her!_

"No!" Sakura shouted to her inner staggering back. "Don't…"

Something hit hard inside of her Sakura, blood splattered from her mouth and for a moment she wasn't herself at all. She couldn't do this. She couldn't fight with her inner over her body not right now. The night flashed through her mind and weakness overcame her.

"_**It was you!" **_

"NO!" Sakura shouted her knees caving under her. "You can't!" Sakura gasped gripping her chest. Everything was happening so fast she felt dizzy, unable to really understand everything.

She couldn't believe this. Why would Sasuke have her here when she did this to them? When she did this to her? Her heart cried out in protest trauma cutting her and cutting her deep. That was impossible wasn't it? Karin wouldn't do something like t-

_SHE DID THIS TO YOU! SHE DID THIS TO US!_

"Sakura what are you talking about." Karin asked getting to her feet again. "Guys is she okay?"

Neon eyes stared back at the red head. Everyone was alert and on point. Sasuke grasped Karin's hand protectively pulling her behind him. How could he do something like that when she orchestrated the Aka Raikon? Had he wanted to get rid of her that badly that he didn't care? How could he stand there with the girl that kidnapped her? The girl that had wanted her dead?

"That's not Sakura." He said.

"_**You're right. It's not." **_The growl came out of her body.

Her head shook and Sakura pushed herself to her feet. "You did this." She said stunned looking at Sasuke. "How can you stand there when she did this to me?" she asked backing away from them.

"What are you-"

Sakura's body pressed into Naruto. "Get me out of here." She begged. "Please! Please! please get me out! Get me out out out out out out out out out out out!" she hit the floor, her hands right around her ears with her eyes shut tight trying to shut out the world but she couldn't- not really. There was so much noise rattling inside of her head and something so loud outside and around her.

"Out out out out out out out…" she couldn't stop saying it shock making her body and mind stick like a broken record.

Even after she was in her own bed in her own home in her own room she couldn't stop. Her mouth just kept mumbling over and over. Naruto didn't leave her. Sakura felt madness drop over her like a cloak and suddenly she felt blind. She felt blind in all her senses, blinder than a blind man even in darkness. Her eyes felt dark as everything cascaded down from her.

She grabbed her paint and pastel and everything else she could find. Even when she sun was tall in the sky like a vision Sakura could only see the outcome of her piece, her hands and feel unable to stop. She felt lost like night into dawn. Ino came by but Sakura hardly even saw her. She wouldn't stop until she was finished. She wouldn't stop no matter how long it took, her hand stroking and slashing the pain against the walls.

Sakura stepped back about to collapse against the floor when she was done.

"Oh my God." Ino whispered.

This time Sakura drew herself. She drew herself like that night her body drenched in blood with a man in front of her and a woman behind her. Karin behind her the words _Remember what I told you _coming from her mouth. And Sakura remembered. Sakura remembered clear as day what she told him: _Kill her if he won't leave the girl._ **(A/N due to my lack of proof reading on my part that line was a bit jumbled but that's what it was supposed to say. You guys know what I mean.)**

_**There you guys go! Another chapter to kick off your weekend! If you guys are having a horrible weekend just hold your head up and plow through. Believe in yourself and keep motivated, whatever goals you have you can get there, whatever dreams you have you can make it and whatever pain you have, time will heal it and you'll continue to live. Have a fantastic weekend!**_

_**Much Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	57. Chapter 57

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Seven]**

Sakura sat in math class leaning against her chair up front drawing in her notebook. She'd long ago finished the math problems assigned to the class in her textbook and listening to Ino's and Atona's trivial chatter and bickering in her ears. They were almost finished too. They would have been finished a long time same time that Sakura was had they not been so occupied texting and talking while working.

Sakura hadn't said a word the entire weekend to anyone nor had she said anything to anyone this morning. The only person she had spoken to had been her inner which hardly counted since her inner wasn't so physically a person and Sakura couldn't escape her.

Ino had begged her to talk. So had Naruto but even still Sakura remained silent. She couldn't open that can of worms after the trauma wore off Sunday evening and she suddenly snapped back into life. She couldn't comprehend the horrible and terrible truths that had knocked at her front door. Sakura could only do that which was encompassed in her routine. She did her school work at school and tried her best not to think of anything.

Ino peaked into Sakura's notebook to look at her drawing. She glanced at Sakura. "Still don't want to talk about it?"

Sakura shrugged. How could she? How could she open her mouth to say that the man she was so completely and wholly in love with was making cupcakes and drinking tea with the girl who tried to murder her? How casually do you even say something like that? Sakura couldn't even believe the possibility or even understand why Karin would want to kill her or take Sasuke's soul out. How did she even know about it? So many unanswered questions.

She sighed heavily and dropped her pen before laying her head down on the desk. She was tired of hearing people talk to her now. She didn't mind the noise around her, the whispers and chatters were good to keep her mind one place but she couldn't hold a conversation with anyone. Sakura didn't know how to anymore nor did she want to. She closed her eyes. Maybe she could get twenty minutes. She hadn't slept last night either.

_He was under a large tree with its roots large and bursting through the grown, damp and covered in moss. The world was humid against her shoulders. He looked different this time but she couldn't really tell what it was. Here she could keep living in the past that was the present. She had piece of him and this was a piece that loved her. _

_She sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. His thumb ran over her bare knuckles in silence. They weren't supposed to be doing this. She knew that but they had already started and they had already gotten this far. What could they change now that all was done? _

"_We are not the same." He said after a while with the forest giving its sings and calls of nature. _

"_I know that." Sakura said softly. "But you're part of him and he is part of you,"_

"_And I am a part of you." He inserted, "but that doesn't mean we are the same."_

"_I know that too." Sakura shifted on the damp floor. _

_This was either her safe haven or her worst nightmare and she had decided to make it her former. She couldn't let him go after all he had the power to call her here every now and then. She didn't control it. It was something that just happened and she couldn't stop it and if she was going to be drawn here she might as well enjoy it.__ He was part of Sasuke but not a part of him at the same time. He had never known Sasuke or lived in him like he had lived in her. His soul belonged to her. _

_He kissed the back of her hand. "I can't promise not to do to you what he did." _

_She was silent for a long time. "I know that too. You have no control over that." she said understandingly. "And I'm not mad at you for that part of you that you can't change." She soothed. _

Sakura felt her chest begin to cave in on her and the world get smaller. The air was thin and barely enough to go down into Sakura's lungs. She felt the anxiety creep up on her and her pen fell from her hand. Something sloshed against her chest and Sakura coughed gripping her chest.

Ino was already out of her chair with her hand against Sakura's back. "Hey hey," she soothed.

"Sakura is everything okay?" Delilah asked coming over.

Sakura held her hand up and gasped. "It's fine." She said grabbing her back pack. "I'm fine. I just ne…need to go to the nurse."

"Someone should come with you." Ino said quickly.

"I'll go." Atona said taking Sakura's bag and dropping it over her shoulder. She took Sakura's hand. "Come on,"

The world spun around her and for a second too long the entire world shut down. Sakura nodded and scooted out of her chair.

_Take deep breathes. You're okay. _Her Inner said.

Sakura nodded again but hardly any air was coming in. Sakura let Atona lead her out of the room and with one hand against the wall they made their way to the nurse Mrs. Summers. With each step Sakura took it became harder and harder to breathe. The world was like a tunnel with the ending getting even smaller and smaller each time.

The more she tried to take deep breathes the less air came in. She wasn't sure if Atona was talking to her or not she couldn't tell. The drowning feeling came back but with it the pain in her shoulder and her wrist. It was an aching feeling. When the headache slammed into her though that's when Sakura had to slide to the floor. She was gasping unable to breathe her muscles and body aching.

By this point Atona was freaking out. "Sakura! Sakura I'll go get the nurse!"

"Ambulance." Sakura wheezed. It had already gone bad there was nothing Mrs. Summers could do as Sakura curled on the ground holding back the scream as stimuli overwhelmed her.

The migraine was like a tidal wave crashing down on her like never before. It was hard and callous as it sat smack on her head. The tile was too cold, the sounds too loud and the colors far too bright. Everything hurt and it felt like her brain was on the verge of popping out of her skull. It was happening so suddenly that even Sakura couldn't comprehend it. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening to her right now.

It was time.

"Sakura you have to stay with me!" Atona pleaded as she called the ambulance. She was practically screaming into the phone. "They're on their way. Sakura I have to go get some help."

It came up and out of Sakura's mouth before she could scream. The waters thinly red liquid erupted from her mouth as she gagged unable to breathe. It felt like being punched in the chest, choked and being drowned at the exact same time. Fire coated the insides of her chest as she was thrown under.

Heels clicked against the tiled floor and too quickly something slammed in Sakura's chest sending her on her back. She couldn't even scream as red flashed all around her.

"Seems I came at a good time." Karin said lightly. "I do have impeccable timing as it seems you have impeccable memory. You have to go Sakura. I can't get him with you around and it seems you know too much for your own good. It seems though that you're dying all on your own so let me just help you a little with that."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Something hit hard against Sakura's chest and just like that she was so far under the water that Sakura went from drowning to dead in five seconds.

~O~

_There was an air piercing screech of pure and unadulterated terror from down the hall. Ino, Sasuke and his Knights all jumped to their feet at the exact same time. _

"_Sakura!" Ino shouted panicked. _

_They were all out the door in seconds without even waiting for Delilah's permission or anything. Sasuke knew instantly that something was wrong and his whole world came crashing down when he saw her laid out on the floor with Atona pressing down on her chest. Tears gushed from her eyes. _

"_She's not breathing!" she screamed. _

_Teachers had already been flocking out of their classrooms but Sasuke stood there frozen in time even as Naruto got down on his knees and started giving Sakura CPR. There was no heartbeat. Her heart…her heart had stopped. He watched transfixed as Naruto moved and Sasuke suddenly went deaf._

_The corridor was laminated with white light from the ceilings. The lockers were this dusty used and old blue. The tiles spotless and shine. It almost reminded him of the halls of a mental hospital if he wanted to go far and compare it. He noticed how muscled Naruto's arms were and just how much mascara was running down Atona's face. Sakura never wore makeup-not really. She wasn't that kind of girl to put on blush and eye shadow and lipstick and that whole sort of thing. Sakura. _

_Thud… thud…thud. Water erupted from her mouth as she gagged on the floor. By now teachers and students alike circled her on the floor. Sasuke was frozen in place. This couldn't be happening. She shot up from the floor, eyes blood shut and a scream so agonizing and blood thirsty shot from her lips, the veins turgid in her neck as blueish-whiteness bled from her eyes. The third stage was happening. It was happening right now. _

_Smoke that was icy cold blue like death came from her mouth, erupted from her nose and ears, drenched Sakura in complete frosty darkness. Her wail was supersonic, like glass being shattered over and over again, nails being dragged across a chalk board. It was raw and guttural, her head snapping back the life being sucked out of her. _

_No. No. this wasn't happening to her. Like acid her clothes burnt away from the touch. Her veins were taut under her thin frail skin, like venom and toxin they glowed this disgusting electric blue. His blue. Sasuke watched traumatized as his soul infected her blood and veins, as it pulsed to and through her heart, seeping from all and every opening. __The third layer had been reached, the third phase: his core. Achimarvada. __**(A/N if the word Achimarvada confuses you I refer you to chapter 19 near the end where this is all explained. Just in case.)**_

_He felt something hit against him and for a second lust, desire and greed to have it consumed him but he couldn't move. Every cell in his body wanted that soul. He wanted that soul that was his and belonged to him but he couldn't bring himself to take it from her. He denied himself the basis of all instincts he had been born with._

"_Sasuke!" Naruto barked. "Snap out of it! She needs you!"_

_And just like that he did. His body went completely rigid his true form hitting and fighting against him. Sasuke's own shirt started becoming soaked with blood the animal in him desperate, salivating and hungry for what was his. He felt his skin begin to tear, his human form being ripped to shreds. He couldn't stay here. They couldn't stay here. Though the human eyes couldn't perceive certain things like the smoke and blood coming from Sakura they could hear her screams. They could see her writhing on the floor. _

_The pain cannot be described by any being humanly possible that Sasuke felt as he moved towards her, refusing to cave into the smell and texture of her body when he snatched from the floor in lightening speed. He was off the compound in seconds. He felt his own soul snake around his arms and Sasuke bit so hard his teeth sank right through his jaw. Venom filled his mouth and his blood lust eyes watered. He felt it wrap around him, its softness the scent making his roaring stomach growl even more, the sheer delight of having the icy soul against him he forced himself not to acknowledge it. _

_His soul wanted him. It was made for him and belonged to him. it could fill him and make him more whole than anything ever had before in his life but he couldn't…He fought as hard as he could to resist it as his soul wrapped around his chest, it's touch and scent more heavenly than anything else he'd ever experienced. _

"_Sasuke!" Neji shouted. _

"_Take her!" His voice cracked as his true nature began to consume him, the curse mark flocking over his flesh. Hunger. God he was so hungry but he would rather die than hurt her. _

_Sakura slipped out of Sasuke's arms but his soul clung to his arms and around his bloody chest. Sasuke cried out his scream animalistic as his soul refused to leave him, literally ripping his flesh from his bones. Sasuke tugged and tugged his soul so intertwined with him he could hear the tearing of his very flesh, like sulfur invading his nose. _

_It didn't want to let him go. It was fighting hard, embossing itself into Sasuke's skin desperate to be as a part of him as he had been a part of Sakura. Spines dug into his flesh and he could taste it. His eyes rolled over in his head from the euphoric pleasure it gave him, it's taste like sex and lust and desire all wrapped in one. He'd never had anything like it. He could hear the hissing of his soul, it's desperation to be with him. No. He couldn't. He had to save her. _

"_NO!" Sasuke roared tearing himself from the tangle with an ear shattering ripping sound. He staggered back pain killing him from the inside out. He could hardly make out Neji, the ice-cold smoke making its way over to him. "GET HER OUT OF HERE!" He barked. _

_Naruto was at his side. "Teme!" he yelled alarmed. _

_He felt delirious. He gasped winded as fire blazed through his skinless arms. He glanced at Naruto, the pain killing him. "I'm fine." He said breathing heavily. "I just need a second. I need to stop this."_

"_How are we going to-"_

"_Not me Naruto…" he gasped. "Her. I need to stop it." _

_She was surely dead if he didn't stop it and he knew that there was something medically wrong with her that had stopped her heart. It was the stopping of her heart that had triggered all this. He had to stop it. He glanced down almost dizzy from the excessive loss of blood. He'd never done this before but he didn't think twice about it. _

_He heaved in a deep breath and mumbled before blowing out an unimaginable sized ball of fire from his mouth, engulfing his skinless arms in the flames. Tears and blood gushed from his eyes, pain…there was so much maddening incomprehensible pain. He fell backward and for a second Sasuke was blind. He couldn't feel or hear or see. Naruto was already on his knees. _

"_Sasuke!" he grabbed Sasuke's shoulders in panic. "Sasuke!"_

_His eyes opened. "Fine." He gasped breathless. "I'm fine." _

_He staggered to his feet then and glanced at his hand that glowed like molded hot iron. They would be fine when the glow was gone but he couldn't stop be bleeding from his chest as his human cloak shredded. _

"_Sasuke you can't do this." Naruto objected. _

_Sasuke looked at him with hard eyes. "Yes. I can. I have to." He said strongly as he took off again. _

_Sasuke hadn't even realized where Neji had taken Sakura until he was running through the halls of Itachi's house. It was in his own home that Sakura's first stage had even taken place. They were already in the large room and Sakura was already strapped in. Her skin was so pale with her veins so blue. Frost covered her skin and the smoke tangled and mingled around her, dancing like snakes to the flute all around. For a second the desire hit him hard sending him right to his knees. _

_Itachi grabbed Sasuke's hot hand pulling him to his feet. "Sasuke get up. You have to do this now. She hasn't much time. The change was what brought her back." He insisted quickly. _

_Sasuke growled. Hungry. Sasuke felt so hungry like never before. No souls could fill him; nothing could give him the feeling that his own soul entangled in hers could fill him. He wanted to devour her body and soul, bleed her dry from head to toe. He wanted to eat her flesh right off her bones and enjoy every single miniscule piece of her that there was. Resisting…he couldn-_

"_Little brother," Itachi said in complete calmness. "You can do this. You have to do this you're the only one who can." _

_And he did. He forced his soul right back inside of her with all his might in his raw form. It killed him. It killed him and sucked everything out of him in its desperation to stay but he didn't stop. He pushed past the pain, the hurt, the hunger, the desire and the heartache this caused him to reject what was his. He pushed and pushed his screams loud and cracking. He forced himself, veins and muscles tight and hard to do what he had to do._

_Sasuke didn't know how much time had passed. It could have been an eternity and then some but his eyes rolled over and his body headed to the floor. Naruto caught him, wrapping his hand around his waist and lead him away. _

_Krystal was on it before any one could say anything. Sasuke shook his head and eased out of Naruto's embrace to lie on the floor. He could not move his body another inch but neither could he black out or go to sleep. Krystal could fix Kavazwalian things but human things were out of her range, difficult for her even as great a witch as she was. _

_Sasuke could hear the slush of water in Sakura's lungs and feel the weight of it so close to rupturing. Someone ripped his shirt off but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to break focus. If he did he would be consumed in the darkness. His body was numb now to the pain and in shock. He didn't know what they were doing to him as they gasped and shouted and touched and stitched and cleaned and whatever else they had to do to him. He withered it all for hours. _

_Hours that made tears slick through his closed eyes like secret rivers in a forest. They were silent and bursting with his pain and his regret, his fire and his flame, his self hate and everything else that turmoil in him. _

_He heard her the second the stopped. "I don't know what else to do Itachi. I can't help her here she needs a human doctor; I don't know how to fix this part. Sasuke bought her time but it's…"_

_He knocked everyone out of his way. His muscles screamed in agony and protest but he didn't stop. _

He had kicked into action then. Hair brushed against his skin as he all but teleported her to the hospital. He watched them tear her clothes from her body. He watched all the scars come to life on her body. He watched them connect machines and drips to her body. He watched them wheel away with her.

Now all he did was sit there listening in the rooms so far away from him as her heart struggled to breathe, the hum of death waning and breathing down her neck, hands sweaty with palms cold holding her hand telling her to let go. He watched the day turn to night with his neck and shoulders stiff, deaf and blind to the world around him. They came and went and came again. They tried to talk to him but there was literally nothing anyone could say to him.

He would not go home. He would not leave. No pain in the entire world would compare to that which he felt for her and because of her and all he had done. His physical pain, his mental pain – none of it compared to his regret and his resolve. He was not leaving. He would rather die. Truth be told he felt dead already. He hadn't rested and his entire body was rigid, tiredness pressed against him like never before. He didn't care. None of the pain he felt. He didn't care about himself. There was no way he could let her go whether she wanted to or not. He wouldn't let her go no matter the price.

A hand touched Sasuke's shoulder and he slinked away. He turned to stare at Ino. She smiled at him and handed him a cup.

"Coffee." She said. "I think it's time that we talk."

Sasuke took the coffee from Ino's hands without a word and took a sip. He heaved in a deep breath. He wasn't in a state where he could have a coherent conversation with anyone. He glanced at her and her bloodshot eyes. She looked like hell but he personally knew he wasn't in any place to say. She probably didn't know fully everything that went down to understand how impeccable her timing was.

"You do most of the talking." He said his voice stripped bare and raw down to the bone.

Ino nodded and sniffled. "She asked us not to say anything. Made us swear on our lives not to bring this to you but I can't…I can't keep this in and not tell you anymore. You deserve to know."

Sasuke felt his stomach launch thirty feet below him. He hung his head and played with the lid of the coffee cup. He was silent as he waited for Ino to continue. Now wasn't the best time but he figured that there was no time better than the present. For some strange reason that he couldn't explain he strongly felt like Sakura didn't just end up here on her own.

Her heart had stopped so quickly. It had stopped so suddenly – far too suddenly than it should have. He had been keeping an ear on her the entire time and then it just shut down. Head to toe it all just shut right down. He took another sip and glanced at his watch.

It was a little after ten at night and his Knights hadn't returned yet. He knew they didn't agree with being forced to go to the compound after Sakura was here. They all wanted to be here just like he was but they had to go in his absence, they couldn't jeopardize everything they had worked so damn hard for.

After all that happened he was frazzled and he didn't need any one back talking him or giving him a hard time. Sakura's change happened yesterday and everything that went down he didn't get her here until about five hours ago today. Whether they wanted to or not everyone did as they were told.

"That Karin girl was there. Did you know that?" Ino asked staring at him. "She was there that night. I'm not sure about the whole ordeal and I don't know if this will mean more to you than to me but here." Ino shoved a picture in front of him.

Sasuke took it from out of her hands and stared at it. The first thing he thought was how beautiful the art was plastered on the wall, coming at him and shocking in his eyes. The realism was incredible, the colors out of this world and even the shadowing. It was gorgeous but his hands shook. It was unmistakable the uncanny resemblance of the red head standing behind her. It was impossible for him to…

"Ino where did you get this?" He dared himself to ask.

"Sakura drew it a few nights ago. It's on her wall in her room. She won't say anything but Sasuke we both know who that girl is."

What little blood was in his body drained form Sasuke's face. His hand with the photography shook as he stared at it. There was no mistaking her for someone else, there was no way she could have been someone else. When they had dragged that beast from the warehouse they had found Sakura no matter how hard they tortured him he wouldn't say who sent him. Even in his mind it was as if it was blocked a wall so high and tall that even when Sasuke got through it there had been nothing there.

He saw her two days ago. She was next to him speaking as he scribbled and imprinted all the information she had to give him on the meeting her kind had with the Pentitantum that same day. Just that day she had held his hand and told him that he was holding up well and even though he hated her touch that wasn't the point. The point was that he hadn't seen it. He hadn't seen any of it. The ulterior motive to have him was there but he never saw the big picture…Sasuke never put the pieces together.

"Oh god," He was going to be sick.

It fell from his hands but Ino was quick grabbing it from the floor. "Right. That's exactly what I said but she won't even confirm who it is and she won't say anything on the matter but it's her. Sasuke it's her and I can feel it, I can feel the certainty and conviction from Sakura sometimes."

He could not think. How could he? He'd been through hell and back and he couldn't even get his limbs to move. How was he supposed to think and function and be coherent right now? The anger that raged through him was heavy like lead in his chest. There was so much of it he felt like his chest would implode and kill everyone in the vicinity.

Before he could say anything his Knights along with Hinata and Tenten came rolling in. Tenten had a little boy with her, holding his hands. He wobbled adorably as he walked, brown hair plastered against his head. Tenten smiled sheepishly as she neared. Sasuke assumed it was Nadaka –Tenten's son. He'd never seen the little guy before but Sasuke couldn't lie he was adorable.

Naruto slumped down in the opposite facing couch in the waiting area and blew out a long breath. "Sasuke go home." He said leaning back with his eyes closed.

Sasuke didn't have any voice. He didn't know what to say. He knew that now he should probably ask what happened on the compound but all he could see were the flashes of the picture Ino had just shown him. It had been her? She did this to them? She did this to Sakura? Sasuke remembered the night of Hinata's changing where Sakura had almost lost her mind when she had asked him-

"Sasuke," Shikamaru said snapping his fingers in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke looked up. "What?" he demanded crisply.

Shikamaru rested his hand on Sasuke's shoulders. "Krystal needs to look at you. You've been through hell. We're here. You can go."

He shook his head. "No I'm not going anywhere." He leaned back and dragged his hand over his face.

Tenten placed the little boy in her lap as she sat down. Instantly he started talking. "Nadaka," Tenten whispered warning him to be quiet but that only made him try to talk even louder and over her.

Irritation ripped across Sasuke's face so quickly Neji jumped out of his seat and knelt down in front of Tenten and took Nadaka's hand. "Hey," he said calmly taking him from Tenten's lap. "Let him sit with me," he said looking at Tenten.

She was reluctant but she nodded and Neji sat down, idly talking with him, playing with his little hands. Sasuke gestured for Shikamaru to take a seat. If they wanted to stay they could and if they wanted to leave the also could do so.

"Sorry," Tenten apologized, "I don't usually leave the house this late and my dad is working the night shift and I didn't have anyone to leave him with so he had to come."

Sasuke waved his hand dismissively. "Its fine don't worry about it," he said downing more of the coffee Ino had so graciously brought him.

"So," Tenten asked getting to the meat of the matter, "how is she?"

"We're about to find out." Hinata and Sasuke said in odd unison.

Tsunade was obviously exhausted. She looked as if she'd aged twenty years from when he last saw her a few hours prior. She had bad news; Sasuke could see it written all over her face with her hands tucked into her white coat with a clip board under her arms. Her eyes were red and he could tell she had been crying. Everyone stood. Everyone except Sasuke. There was no way he could; he didn't know what news he would get and even the slightest would send him to the floor.

She heaved in a deep breath. "Here I see all of you again. I think we all should speak privately. Follow me." She said sternly turning without warning and moving.

Sasuke sighed and rose. Everyone followed her though the now silent and clean halls. Her low heels clicked and clacked against the floor and Nadaka filled the silence with Neji the entire time. They entered Tsunade's cluttered office and she pointed to some folding chairs in the corner.

Everyone took them out and Sasuke took a seat in the one person couch in her office. She sat down with a thud and scanned the faces of everyone in the room. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Alright let me give you all the skinny of what's going on. Her lungs -both of them- was full of fluid. The medication had been worsening and affecting the edema. It took us not only hours to drain all the fluid from her lungs there were also some other more complicated things I don't want to get into. We have her on life support in a separate room in the building. She was too intensive and required too much equipment to be put in the ICU."

He would literally rather be told that he was going to die than to hear what he just had. Shikamaru didn't miss a beat.

"How long does she have?"

Tsunade's face contorted in obvious pain. Her lips trembled and her eyes watered. "I'd be very impressed if Sakura makes it till morning." She said grimly. "There is no best case scenario here."

"Can we see her?" Hinata asked immediately. "Please. I know we're not biological family but we might as well be."

Tsuande nodded. "Sasuke you know where she is. I'd sent someone to in front where we would be putting her once we were finished." He nodded. He was empty of words. "I've been calling Sakura's guardians but no one is answering. I'll have to try again. You have ten minutes. Don't touch anything. Don't touch her either. You're free to talk." She said dismissively.

Sasuke was already out the door. Naruto fell in step with him. "Are you sure about not letting Rin know what's going on?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke nodded wading through the hospital. "Yes I am. At least not yet."

He didn't want Rin to know what was going on if they could fix this. Krystal couldn't drain the fluid but now that they had, she could do other things. He didn't want Rin to know Sakura was here and worry about this if they could fix this. They had to fix this. His heart was racing with fear and dread and this brokenness that felt like the rippling of a lake and the waking of a dream. He pushed open the door and was stricken when he saw her.

Sakura was covered in wires and tubes and drips and beeping machines. She wasn't even breathing on her own, tubes going down into her throat and into her nose. Her head lay slightly to the side, her pink hair everywhere about her. So much noise. So many machines. Sasuke couldn't even recognize her. Everyone stood there in complete silence. If a pin dropped everyone could hear it.

Sasuke walked over to her like a trance staring at her face willing her eyes to open. He could hardly get close with the cluster of cords and machines connected to her. Tubes could be seen coming from slits in her gown where here ribs were, a thin from in her lower side. So much.

It was noisy and crowded but he could see her face. She looked nothing like he remembered and completely like he did all at once. Her skin was pale and delicate like aged paper, skin spread over bone. Her eyes were sunken in, her cheeks seemed hollowed out. He stared at her face for what felt like a millennia of sun rises and sun sets. He begged them to open and look back at him. He begged those big beautiful evergreen eyes that could see through and beneath him into his soul. Eyes like that could calm him like the inside of a storm, kill the rage and suck the anger right out his system. Her eyes that seemed to bleed and sing and scream in her emotions that would tell him over and over again how much she loved him.

Damn she loved him like no other girl in this world would have ever loved him. No matter what he did to her, no matter what happened, no matter who he was or who he became she never –not once- since he courted her turned her back against him. No matter what happened she stood by his side and no one else in this world would have stood by his side like she did or like she could. She loved him more than he probably loved her and he loved her with every fiber of his being.

Tears were in his eyes but he didn't even care. How had this happen to them? How had he let it? Kurenai had warned him. Sakura's mother had warned him that he couldn't leave her after a certain time had passed and like a fool he had. He had left her all alone. He should have fought harder. Staring at her now he couldn't believe himself that he did the right thing. He couldn't convince himself that he had done right by her.

He wanted to touch her. He wanted her eyes to open. "Just for a second…" he whispered. "Open your eyes and look at me."

And they did.

Her eyes shot right open with a gasp, her body sitting up quickly in the bed. Neon pink and green eyes, shocked and wild like someone seeing for the very first time looked around in confusion. She looked around in complete and utter shock, tearing the tube from her mouth and nose. She sucked in a sharp breath and Sasuke stumbled back against his better judgment before becoming as still as a wall and as cold as ice.

She tore all the wires connected to her chest harshly and gasped again ripping out the IV. She breathed deeply and heavily like it was her first time ever doing it. She pulled all the tubes from her body without so much as flinch, her hands shaking. Sasuke watched as her pink hair darkened before his very eyes, thick, fluid and vicious.

She looked around and her eyes –beautiful and deadly things widened even more. She shook her head in shock and disbelief. That wasn't Sakura.

"_**Sakura what have you done?" **_She breathed out stunned.

_**And there you have it! Your weekly update guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have a fantastic week!**_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	58. Chapter 58

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! This chapter might be a little confusing and hard to understand but just bare with me and try to follow as best as you can. Re-read sentences if you need to and don't be afraid to PM me or ask me questions in the reviews! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**____**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__ __**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Eight]**

"_Sakura!" she cried shaking her shoulders. _

_Sakura was tattered and completely broken as she lay there chest rising and falling. The girl could see the splinters of Sakura's soul everywhere, vanishing into nothing as pain melted it away. The white walls seemed stained with Sakura's spirit as she had shattered into nothing from pain. _

_The girl shook her head. No. "Sakura you have to go back! There isn't much time!" she wailed but she knew…she knew Sakura couldn't._

_She knew that Sakura didn't want to go back even if she could. She couldn't do it anymore and it was unfair for anyone to ask her to. She couldn't go back to that world and keep going through that, her insides now empty of everything that made her who she was. The girl knew Sakura wasn't going to wake up any time soon but they couldn't just lie here. _

_Her head fell on Sakura's chest as sobbed wrecked her. This was the one and only friend she had, the only person she could talk to when she needed someone. This was her family. Sakura couldn't die._

"_You can't go." She wailed desperately. "Sakura you can't go!" she screamed into her chest, sobbing through and through. _

"_You never told me your name." __the voice empty and void unlike anything she had ever heard in her entire life and she had heard many voices in her time._

_The girl sat up again and looked around. No one was in here with them this time around. The white walled room was barren and the girl didn't know where Sasuke's soul was here. It was hard to ever find him in this vast yet cramped place. _

_She looked down at Sakura's body, the grotesque scene of her humanity everywhere against the white walls. The tears came harder, flooding her face and the world. She had never told Sakura her real name since they were together. Not once. At first she hadn't been compatible with Sakura's body and she had tried her damned hardest to fix it but she never could. Once that woman Kurenai had fixed things…everything had changed but she had never told Sakura her real name. She had always told Sakura that she should be called Sakura as well since they were bound into one._

_Her mouth opened but her hand clasped over it before anything could come out but the sob. She couldn't do this. Hate blossomed in her. She was so different from this girl now destroyed wholly beneath her. They were worlds apart in both views and personality and she had become so accustomed to protecting Sakura that she couldn't even comprehend how this happened. She tried so hard…she tried so hard to protect her. _

"_Kimurimochi," she said then barely able to get the words out. She touched Sakura's face gently. _

_She had even made herself look like this girl- as identical as she could have made herself. Sakura didn't even know what she looked like. After a while Sakura had stopped asking about it and just accepted her as being part of herself. Same voice, same physical features- same everything. Now she regretted everything. She had looked liked Sakura for so long that the Kavazwalian had forgotten what her own actual face looked like. She regretted never showing Sakura more of herself after she had used her body as a vessel for eighteen years._

_She had been here so long and so wholly. This was her home now, as close to the home they had taken from her all those eons ago. Out of every vessel she had ever known Sakura was the only one. Her heart broke inside. Sakura didn't even know her face. _

"_Go," __she said then. _

_The girl shook her head. "I'm not possessing you again." She said firmly. _

_She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to take Sakura's body. That wasn't fair to her or to anyone. She deserved more than that. She was more than that. She didn't even remember what it was like to be a real entity that took up space and was made of matter. She couldn't remember what it was to have weight or move limbs or even speak really. Rage had blinded her the two times she had taken control but that was just rage. She couldn't take over Sakura's body. _

"_Then this body dies with me."__ She said blandly and the girl watched Sakura's heart flutter. She was going to die and she was going to die before a minute was over. _

_She had to fix this. She had to put Sakura's soul back together as best as she could. Sasuke's soul was supposed to be here to fix this if it ever happened. Sakura was supposed to have two lives that was his point. If her soul shattered his soul was supposed to manifest itself and fuse with the pieces, morphing and become a mere replica and true as the one before it but that wasn't happening. That wasn't happening and she had to fix it but this Kavazwalian girl only panicked. She didn't know how. _

"_Go."_

"_No!" she screamed against the tears. "I'm not going!"_

"_GO!"_

She gasped, her eyes shooting open. She had never been so disoriented in her entire life, white light and sounds blasting in her ears. She looked around trying to understand what was happening, something fat stuck down in her throat. Before she even realized what she was doing she tore it out of her mouth, ripping something else from her nose in the process. She heaved in a deep breath.

Her entire body froze as her eyes looked around like a frightened animal. She just took a breath. She just took a real breath, air rushing into her lungs filling her chest up and everything. It felt like an invasion of privacy when she did it, as if she was hallowed out and air rushed in.

Nobody around her moved and she started to recognize the faces and with it came the realization of what had happened. She felt things inside her skin and quickly she started ripping them out. She tore of the wires from her chest, arms and ripped out the tubes from her side. She disconnected everything from her body, shaking hands tearing out the IV. She heaved in another breath suddenly light headed.

She met their shocked eyes and faces and her eyes- finally coming into sharpness and focus widened even more.

"Sakura what did you do?" she breathed out in complete and utter shock as she sat there staring at all these strangers.

That was what they were to her. Alien strangers whom she hated. She didn't know any of them nor did any of them know her and she had heard the way the talked about her, she had heard the way Sasuke spoke about her. She swallowed. Looked down at herself, outstretching her arms to look at them, opening and clasping her fingers in wonder. She was flesh and bone. Well Sakura's flesh and bone but flesh and bone nonetheless.

She moved her feet and toes. She didn't really know how to do this anymore. She glanced at everyone. She had nothing to hold on to that could give her any form of comfort or quiet all the thoughts rushing through her head. She couldn't believe Sakura was making her do this. She couldn't believe Sakura didn't want to come back.

Kimurimochi hesitantly threw the sheet that covered her from her body. She looked down at her feet- temporarily she reminded herself. She knew Sakura was short but hovering in her head didn't get her enough perspective until right now when she swung the legs to hang over the bed.

"Stop."

She tensed. So far no one had said anything and she had liked it much better that way. She had a mouth that worse than a sailors and she had an anger that burned like a furnace inside of her for them. His voice made her skin crawl and she wanted to gauge his eyes out. She didn't want anyone to know how afraid she was.

"Is there something I can do for you?" She inquired calmly turning as much as she could to look Sasuke Uchiha in the face.

He was such a pathetic piece of bastard that her face contorted at the sight of him. He had wiped his tears when she wasn't looking but none of that mattered to her. She didn't know why Sakura did this when she knew that she was going to raise hell and high waters possessing her. She couldn't control herself, she was a temperamental thing. She had lived long enough to know both her good and bad qualities.

For a while they just stared at her open mouthed like stupid fishes out of water, the sight of them making bile rise in her throat. She felt so weak. She felt so weak on the inside and out, it had been such a long time since she walked or talked or truly lived. She had used so much of her power on keeping Sakura alive that she had hardly stopped to really think about herself.

Hinata stepped forward. "Wh-who are you?" she stuttered filling the silence in the room.

She rolled her eyes. They all knew who she was. Perhaps they did not know by name or by face but they knew who she was. She was one of them but she was not family. She was nowhere close.

"Sakura's Inner Devil Kavazwalian Kimurimochi." She said as dryly as she could while pushing herself to her feet.

For a second her feet wobbled but she stood with her arm on the bed to keep her balance. The floor was freezing cold. _Cold. _When last had she felt cold or warm? Being inside Sakura's body was neither, it was like the womb locked away and protected by here where the outside elements had no influence.

Goose bumps spiked over her scare ridden flesh and she couldn't help but smile. She couldn't take this from Sakura. She couldn't take this away from her. She had taken so much from the girl already. She couldn't take this beautiful world away too. She shuffled over to the corner where a bag lay with Sakura's clothing. Her legs felt stiff and sore- something Kimurimochi was already working on with the little power she had but she could feel hunger creeping on her. She was going to fix this. She was going to fix this and take Sakura far away from here where she could leave this behind and start over again.

"But how di-"

"Let us get this out of the way," Kimurimochi said in Kavazwalian, a tongue she had thought she had forgotten long ago, "I don't owe anyone an explanation and no one will be getting one. I want absolutely nothing to do with any of you here. I don't know any of you and none of you know me."

She picked up the bag and gestured to the door for them to leave but almost no one moved. Everyone just stood there staring at her like they were seeing a person for the very first time in their lives. If anyone should be shocked and shaking in their boots it was her yet she was trying to keep herself as cool as possible.

She watched the door slam and everyone parted as a Sasuke stood before it arms folded. She straightened from the duffle bag on the floor and looked at him. The pathetic spawn of a demon. Her hate for him ran deeper than anything she had ever known. Sakura knew that she didn't like him but in Sakura's head those things never mattered. Who she liked in the world out here and who she didn't never mattered, she tried to keep Sakura as alert as possible and that was all she could have done.

"Where is Sakura?"

"Dead." Kimurimochi said her voice like battery acid, the word slicking down her throat to strangle her. It rang so real and true that the sound of her voice had been so loud in her head, almost knocking her to the floor.

She pulled out the jeans and shirt Sakura had in the bag but no one seemed to get the idea that she wanted privacy. Her mind yes and she was in control but this was not her body and she would not show it to anyone, whether or not they had all seen it before. She stood up straight, holding on the garments for dear life and stared at them in the face.

She was Sakura's Inner. Sakura's blood was her blood. Her blood was Sakura's blood. Kavazwalian. Human. But she had taken too much from her and now Sakura was gone. Sakura was gone and Kimurimochi could never live with that. She could never live knowing she had been a parasite to this girl, strangling her soul until there was none left.

She watched the tears drown Ino's eyes as she stared at her without any form of concern. She shook her head in disbelief. Her voice was barely a whisper. "No," she whispered tears spilling over her face, her hand covering her mouth. "No."

Kimurimochi nodded her head. "Yes." She said frankly. "She's dead."

They all did this to her. Everyone standing in the room had a part to play in this happening whether they knew it or not and the more she looked at them, the greater her hate for them became.

"She can't be dead." He said then. Shock.

She forced herself to look at him and sneered. "Oh? She can't be? I was under the impression that she was human. Correct me if I'm wrong. Obviously I'm in the wrong place." She spat her tone like a whip. She flicked her wrist and the door slammed open. "Get out." She said forcefully crossing her arms over her chest.

They all stood there as if they didn't know who they were or what to do with themselves. She took a deep breath and waited patiently. She would have liked to say she could stay like that all day but she couldn't. For one she didn't have the time to waste. Secondly she didn't have the energy as she was so hungry she felt as if she was going to become crippled and she couldn't help Sakura unless she could feed and nourish her living body first. Thirdly she had too many things to do and staying in a room with these wretches wasn't one of them.

Kimurimochi understood that this was a shock to everyone in the room and that right now it was impossible for them to wrap their small heads around this. Hell it was hard for her to even believe this was really happening but staying in one place helped no one and there was only one person on her agenda that she cared about. She was nervous and the longer she stood there the hungrier she became but she couldn't show fear in their faces. She couldn't show any more fear than she already had before.

"Get out of this room right now or should I strip naked in front of all of you as if Sakura's body didn't know pride? Is that what you want?" she demanded, her Kavazwalian tongue like whiplash in their wounds.

"What is she saying?" Tenten finally asked her voice low and gone as she held a sleeping boy in her arms.

Neji grasped Sasuke's hand. "Sasuke we can't leave. We have to do something." He insisted. "Get out of Sakura right now." He commanded.

Kimurimochi titled her head back and laughed before settling her odd colored eyes squarely on him. "Make me." She said. "I am far better than a mere corpse no? I mean Sasuke if I am gone not even her body you will have anymore." It hurt her to say what she just had, worse like how she didn't mean it but she knew what she had to do.

If she didn't put that bridge up between them and put it up now everything would become more cumbersome. She was not their friend and they were not hers. It was as simple as that. She was not going to pretend so they could stab her in the back or pretend as if they knew everything with their ignorant self and get rid of her thinking that could bring Sakura back. That wouldn't bring her back because there was nothing whole of her remaining to bring back to life.

Kimurimochi had to start putting the pieces together before all of it was gone and contrary to popular belief that was not something she had done before, knew how to do or would be easy for her but luckily she was the one to possess Sakura and she was Sakura's best bet.

She grabbed the duffle bag and brushed past them. "Since no one will leave. I will." She said walking through the door and heading to the bathroom on the floor.

She half expected and half feared that they would follow her. She was glad when they didn't. She'd watched from inside of people and vessels as they lived their lives but she had never actually done this before. After they had destroyed Kvinochi Island she had fled for her life, one of the very few of her kind to have escaped the cataclysmic doom that destroyed the entire land bigger than the United States and Canada combined. She had spent so much of her life running after that then there was the Great Change when they were thrown here. There was no way she would have lived; no way the Pentitantum wouldn't have found her. She'd moved from one vessel to another but now here she was, probably the last Kavazwalian of her kind.

Sakura's body was not weak. She was going to show them that. She stared down at herself in the bathroom stall. She'd watched Sakura do this a million times but still, she couldn't remember the last time she 'put on' anything. She pulled the gown over her head and fumbled with the jeans. It took her longer than she would have thought to get dressed but even then, for some estranged reason she felt like she had done it wrong.

She came out with the duffle bag strung over her shoulder and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were so painfully bright and illuminated. Unmistakable. Ripping neon green and pink as if all they did was release photons of light that could burn into your skull, vivid and impossible for any human to wield. She had Sakura's body and her face and lips but her own blood ran through this body too and these were her eyes, the volume and viscous electric pink hair was hers too. She hadn't been in physical form long enough for the aquamarine color to seep into the ends but soon enough, when she was strong it would appear. They were one and the same.

"Sakura I'm going to fix this." She vowed. "I promise you." She said to no one in particular.

When she pushed through the door Hinata stood there, her lavender eyes guarded. Kimurimochi stood there and looked at her before stepping around her without a word.

"What are you?" Hinata demanded.

Kimurimochi was an Achite. An Achite is a Kavazwalian being with the wings made of bones, poisonous navy blue -or any other color really- skin that could walk on two legs. They usually had stunning neon eyes and hair, classified as one of the most beautiful creatures. During the destruction of the Island Kvinochi –which used to the called the Golden Island- they were classified as extinct. Their curvaceous womanly –or masculine- figures, wings folded against their backs like angels but even more beautiful to behold.

They fed on the dead and the decaying, the sickly and the weak, insensitive to any form of poison and most things acquired from nature. This was what made them so powerful, their defense against Nature since they were creatures from Nature itself. Their powers ranged from the average incredible strength to fire, elementals, spells and witchcraft to those classified as Levels. Most Kapasula's powers and those on the Council were defined by levels and level jumps because their powers were so strong and so vast. _**(A/N There is little information to date in the Kavazwalian Kamalpa Historical Archives about them.)**_

"Achite." She said walking down the hall, leaving a stock still Hinata standing in the hallway.

She had things to do and revenge to seek. Most of all she needed to eat and she needed to eat _now. _

~O~

Kimurimochi licked her fingers, her tongue like a whip swirling around her bloody arm. Her head titled back, eyes wide as she laughed manically. Enough time had passed and she had gotten much of herself under control but still she couldn't stop. Blood had drenched her naked body as she knelt on her knees on the red stained floor. She laughed again, long and hard holding her stomach, tears coming to her eyes.

Her slender fingers wiped blood from her eyes that searched the room. She stared at him almost lovingly as he laid there dead and crawled over to him. Kimurimochi touched his face.

"More," she rasped to herself before she could stop gripping his arm and ripping it from his body.

She smelt the length of his arm, inhaling him as much and as best as she could. He smelt _delicious. _He didn't have as much meat on him as the one she'd just eaten but she sucked the blood from his ripped arm like it was nobody's business. Her Kavazwalian lapped around her as she spoke to dead around her.

"You're not disappointing me." She said happily tearing a finger, his body still warm and blood still fresh.

He crunched in her mouth, thick and bringing her body back to life. The flavor of him drove her to brink of insanity again, the control she had regained slipping through her fingers again as need and animalistic instincts kicked in again. He slid down her throat with much more strength and vigor than the dead men in this place had. She felt her entire body come to life, becoming stronger and stiffer each second, gushing through her.

She hadn't eaten in so long. She hadn't tasted anything on her tongue in longer than she can count or remember. She'd never known humans to have ever tasted so good. Their blood was so much sweeter, thicker and richer than she had ever recalled. Back then they were fresh and raw things that it was hard for her to thoroughly enjoy them as much as she did dead deer's and other animals.

She moaned sexily in her throat at the taste of him as his blood ran down her chin, mixing with that of others, running down her naked hard nipples. She couldn't have enjoyed a meal _this _divine fully clothed. Sakura would just have to understand. She had slain the living in this place before she had stripped down, no one had seen her.

She pushed the last bit of his arm in her mouth, blood splashed out, veins and tendons lose but she slurped them up without so much as a complaint. She rocked side to side, pleasure and desire making her body high, wet in places and dry in others.

His lab coat was still on, stained red with his blood. She took her time taking it off, her pink hair sticking to her skin, the very tips of it a luminescent aquamarine. She stripped him down bare and kissed him on his lips before tearing them off, groaning from the sound of flesh leaving flesh. His lips were rubbery but no less good as she chewed on them, his dead body between her naked legs. She laid her head on his chest.

"You're the last heart I have. I should have come earlier before you'd cleaned out these new bodies. I was just so uncertain. Can you understand?" she asked tenderly drawing circles on his chest. "I couldn't go to a hospital, that's blatant disrespect to Sakura don't you think? It would have been and the Morgue…the bodies are always just so _dry _from all the preservation techniques. I bet they taste horrible." She laughed again loudly almost gently ripping his left ear off and chewing on it.

She swallowed and sighed. The thrill this had given her gave her the first orgasm she can recall. It had been so exhilarating and pleasurable. It had felt so good to rip their throats out that the insanity had gripped her so hard she had wanted to fuck their bodies as they had laid there. She had wanted to so badly but she couldn't have, this body wasn't hers –not fully- and even in the thrill of the moment Kimurimochi would not allow herself to forget that. She had settled for this instead, dried blood and her own juices between her legs.

_Kimurimochi was almost out of her mind as she roamed the streets of Kanoha. Sakura had only whisked past the place once when she just got here on a ride through the town. She couldn't remember where exactly she had seen the place but she knew it was around here somewhere. Hunger was driving her crazy and all she wanted to do was kill and eat eat eat eat. The scents of the ill and sickly invaded her nostrils, the dead all around her and the decaying. Even the live humans smelt like heaven wafting through her nostrils she had to bite down on her jaws, nails digging into her palms to resist the urge. _

_She took a deep breath and staggered. She had to eat if she expected to change anything. She had to eat if she expected to defend herself, defend Sakura and get her back. She was sure Sasuke and everyone else would be on her soon enough and she had no strength. In theory she was stronger than all of them combined but she hadn't had any sustenance from even before she went into Sakura's body, she was almost as weak as a human. Just possessing Sakura those two times had drained her more than she had let on. Now being in full and complete control was burning the last bit oil she had. _

_Her stomach growled as she waded through allies and then she saw the truck. Kimurimochi's eyes widened with relief at the sight of it. It had been the same Chemical Company truck that had been parked out front of the small building she had seen, boxes of only god knows what being delivered. Her feet kicked off as she followed it hungrily through the streets. Saliva filled her mouth, blinding her at the sole thought of eating something. She was so desperate she almost wished the truck would move faster even though she was acting on a whim. There was no way for certain it was going to the same place until he parked around the back of the building. _

_It wasn't a morgue but she knew there were plenty of freshly dead on white examination tables, disfigured from accidents. Tsukani Skulls Lmt was the name of the place. People who donated their bodies to science, research and other sorts of things were whisked off to this place usually within less than twenty four hours of their deaths. _

_She watched him get out of the truck and meet a tall black haired woman in a white coat outside. Kimurimochi watched her sign with a pen before heading back inside, the garage looking doors wide open. By the time the tall truck driver delivered the first box inside Kimurimochi already inside with him and let the door down locking him inside. She moved faster than she thought she was capable of, hunger driving her to her brink as she shut the entire place down and securing every possible entrance. _

_Near the front of the building she saw them; horded like cattle there trying to figure out what was going on. She licked her lips. Their eyes widened at the sight of her. A little teenage girl with colored contacts and dyed hair but she sashayed closer, deranged and deluded. _

"_Sakura forgive me," she had laughed, "but we __**must**__ eat." _

Now here she was in their lab where the dead bodies were kept, most of them fresh from within in week. She'd killed every living person and dragged them here, bathing in their blood and drinking as much as she could, shoving it down she just couldn't get enough, pleasure pulsating through her. Orgasms one after the other, their delicious bodies crunching and spilling over her in her mouth she couldn't stop it. No two humans tasted the same, the diversity was beautiful. She had eaten the black Indian first and Kimurimochi regretted the decision. She had tasted the best, so sweet and rich, her skin thick and firm, soft where it should be…pleasure poured from between her legs. Food. The best thing in the world.

For some estranged reason she was still hungry. She was hungry enough just for him. She straddled him and with her bear teeth tore through his neck, his arteries coming out into her mouth. She ripped him apart, searing her hand through his chest taking his heart from his body. She bit into the muscle, blood gushing down her hands as she rocked against his cold body beneath her. She felt wild and strong enough to destroy the world, power almost too much for her to handle.

Kimurimochi lay flat on her back as she ate the last of him, tasting the marrow from his spine. _Delicious. _She rolled around her stomach full and laughing. She moaned and groaned, licking the blood from her body, her hands running over her taut nipples and down between her legs. She wanted to mate. She should have been mating while she did this, her Kavazwailian instincts in her very hair. She needed it but the moment the thought of mating popped into her head, driving herself on and in and out and through another person with pleasure taking her through the roof she thought of Sakura.

She thought of Sakura and so quickly her sanity came crashing back. Yes. Sakura. She was here because of her. Hunger had taken away her objective but now…now it was back. She sighed heavily. Now she needed to rest. She pushed herself to her feet and looked around her. There was blood everywhere but there was not a body in sight. She had eaten even the ones that were already preserved. Every inch and parcel of them had been devoured by her hunger and greed.

Kimurimochi walked around the halls in her nakedness with her head held high feeling more powerful than she ever thought possible. There was confidence in every stride she took –confidence that not even Ino or anyone else in this world but her could have. The aquamarine dripped from the tips of her hair as she walked leaving her bloody foot prints along the white tiled hall. Her eyes seemed to shine beams of light, her body so womanly and curvaceous. Sakura's body had never looked as beautiful and defined as it did then.

Eventually she found the room where they skinned them and hosed herself down almost sad to see all the blood on her go to waste. She got cleaned quickly enough, cracked her fingers and shook out her wet hair. She got between her toes, nails and deeper crevices of her body and washed out her mouth. She had left her clothes around the front with her duffle bag as to not get them stained. She dried and put on back the jeans, sneakers and big white shirt she had on before. She grabbed the duffle bag, picked her teeth and walked through the front door leaving the barren and empty place.

The stars had come out, barrel visible through the cloak of the city night lights. Kimurimochi took a deep breath, letting the air fill her lungs and she started walking.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to eat, Sakura." She apologized as she walked along the long locked down highway heading for the hills. "It had just been so long I had lost myself in the moment. It's still my first day here, it was hard for me to control myself half deranged on hunger." She explained even though she wasn't sure Sakura could hear or was even anywhere around inside of her.

The hills were on the outskirts of Kanoha and soon Kimurimochi found herself on one of them, walking through the dense and crowded woods with the moon barely as a guide. She wasn't looking for a clearing but eventually she simply stop where there was a lot of earth. She lay down in the dirt, sinking herself into it and closed her eyes. It felt like home. It was like that Kimurimochi the Achite fell into the most relaxing and calming nap of her life.

She awoke to the sun beating down on her sweat drenching her clothes. She blinked against the light and just laid there feeling so well rested and full. She smirked.

"Well then Sakura," she said pushing herself up. "Let's go."

The walk home was an uncomfortable one as everyone stared at her like she was crazy. She was covered in dirt, her hair and eyes peaking through. She stuck to the back streets and alleys as she made her way home. She had expected them to be waiting for her and the thought of it degusted her. As she walked she couldn't get over how alive everything was here.

Being in Sakrua's head felt like merely watching television. It had always felt real and not at the same time because all she could do was watch. The colors spiraled into her vision and the heat of the sun warming her skin. Her dirty fingers held on to the strap of her bag humming a tune to herself. The world was such a busy place she thought. Everyone looked like they had somewhere to go, the stores and cafes bustling with those of the early morning. Cars zoomed down the streets, voices and noises all around her.

She made her way home and entered the house. It was empty. She assumed Atona was at school or something and her parents were at work. She closed the door behind her and made her way upstairs not even bothering to check if there were any traps here or anything. She stripped bare and went under the shower, the water burning hot against her skin. She stayed under the heat letting it wash the dirt away from her skin and she washed her hair.

All the while she talked to Sakura. She never stopped talking to her. She didn't know if it was helping her or keeping her around –she wasn't sure- but she didn't stop talking to her. When she was in Sakura's head while she showered or couldn't sleep Sakura never stopped talking to her.

Steam surrounded the bathroom opening her pours and she swayed as she spoke. Tears built in her eyes but she never allowed them to fall. She would give the world and everything in it just to hear Sakura's voice again. She wished Sakura was replying to her but all Kimurimochi got in return was silence. Deafening silence.

She came out of the shower and ran her fingers through her hair. She wrapped a towel around her body and blew out her hair that was now so long it almost ended at her tailbone. When it was dry she did it in one long braid that she let swing powerfully in her back, the aquamarine slowly travelling up the tips of her hair as she got stronger. She dried herself and raided Sakura's closet for what felt like forever. While she wasn't that knowledgeable about fashion she didn't like much of what was in Sakura's closet. With a shrug she went to Atona's room. She pulled out a red skater skirt and a black sweat hart black blouse which she tucked in and put on some flats. She cracked her knuckles as she draped her mane over her shoulder and left.

_**There you have it guys! We have FINALLY introduced Sakura's inner. I remember when I just started this story some people were saying that they didn't like how Sakura's Inner was always seen as 'separated' from Sakura when they were basically one and the same. I hope this chapter and a few before this, have shown you why I have done Sakura's inner the way I have because in this story, she is separated! I hope you all LOVED this chapter. **_

_**PS: CAN I LIKE BE REAL RIGHT QUICK. IS IT ME OR ARE YOU GUYS REVIEWING MORE? I LOOOOOOOOVE IT! KEEP THEM COMING! THE LONGER THE BETTER! **_

_**Until Next Week,**_

_**D.V**_


	59. Chapter 59

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Fifty Nine]**

There was a lot of external noise suddenly and Kimurimochi cracked her neck in irritation. The talking kept getting louder and louder until it all become so unbearable she sprang up from the floor. She did not need this right now. She did not need them or anyone else for that matter coming after her, trying to kill her or simply antagonize her. Right now she did not need it. She had spent two hours –more than she had to spare- trying to find the phoenix who was surprisingly nowhere to be found. Why? She wasn't entirely sure but she had a strong feeling that the Sasuke fellow had something to do with it. Whatever it was, the red head was only wroth two hours of her time and she couldn't have spent any more time on it.

She was here to get Sakura back and she didn't intend to ever forget it. She had gone into the archives searching for anything that could have helped her to at least know where to start but there had been so little information. This was a very rare and special case. This was something that had never happened before and Kimurimochi realized she was going to have to figure out how to save Sakura on her own. Which was precisely what had had been doing. It was the slowest, most antagonizing and maddening process she'd ever encountered but it was working.

She laid down on the floor, eyes closed, palms facing up and released her power –just enough for it to wrap around her body like a cloak and she just stayed there, directing all this into Sakura's body. She'd been lying like that for almost ten hours and she'd only managed to put at most 4% of Sakura's soul together. The process was pain staking, time consuming and required her utmost focus and concentration. One wrong move and she could destroy everything, all the pieces left back of Sakura's soul included. She did not need this right now.

She yanked the door open and stomped down the stairs. She stared at them frankly as if she was supposed to be intimidated by them coming into Rin's house in a pack and uninvited. They obviously didn't know her or what she was capable off.

"Get. Out." Kimurimochi said bluntly.

Sasuke leaned against the wall his hands tucked into a suite and stared at her. Kimurimochi looked around quickly, scanning for everyone else –contributors to the noise- but nobody could be seen. Had they left upon hearing her coming down the stairs?

"That's not happening." Sasuke said simply.

Kimurimochi's eyes narrowed into slits. "What the fuck do you want?" she demanded folding her arms over her chest. "I have things that I need to do that are more important than any reason you could possibly have for being here right now."

He pushed himself from the wall. God she fucking hated him, she hated him for loving Sakura and putting her through this, she hated him for leaving Sakura all alone without even glancing her way, for playing with her like she was a toy and telling all his lies. She hated him for making her believe that he could have been faithful to her and never leave her. She hated for everything he had done to her best friend- the only find and ally she had.

"We need to talk."

She rolled her eyes and brushed past him. She wasn't in the mood to fight nor would she. Sasuke would be a fool to try and take her on with all that she could do, things he was too young to even know of. He was from the Kvinochi but he was never born there. His parents were yes but he was conceived here on earth, never having ever even seen his homeland. He did not know what she could do. The history books had very little to say about her kind now that they were all gone before the change.

She headed to the kitchen but the moment she stepped onto the rug while she crossed the living room she felt it. Her head looked up instantly only to see and Kavazwalian ancient trapping symbol on the roof above her head. She sneered.

"What's the meaning of this?" she demanded looking around, gripping the edge of the rug and pulling it back only to see more symbols underneath her.

He trapped her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Not today. Not right now. She had been doing something constructive.

"That is an eighteen seal Kavazwalian trap." He said simply gauging her. "You are not going anywhere."

"You know," Kimurimochi began crossing her arms, "I don't know what you expect to accomplish here. You're not going to fight me. If you did, you'd lose. You know that and I know that. With that said, I can't imagine what you could possibly want from me."

The sliding doors to the patio opened and she turned to watch in disgust as all of Sasuke's flock walked in. They all watched her with these careful, distrustful yet triumphant eyes. Like they had passed something over her and had her in the palm of her hands. She glanced up at the intricate symbol above her head, observing all the lines and patterns. They were still children. Did they not know this?

"We want Sakura-chan back." Naruto said simply, blue eyes lost as if looking at her confused him.

"Because you think you're in love with her that's enough to get up and make demands? That's almost cute. I want world peace and my home Kamalpa back but as everyone can clearly see that is out of my reach as this is out of yours. How long do you intend to continue this pathetic attempt at whatever it is you're trying to accomplish?" she quipped, feeling the rage build inside of her heart.

She would not destroy Rin's home nor would she defile it. She respected Rin because Rin respected Sakura and looked out for her- something many adults didn't do. She would not shed and ounce of blood on this woman's property no matter the cost.

Hinata stepped forward. "Then we will rip you out." She said coldly. "You don't belong in her body and you don't have the right to take over her soul and possess her."

Is that what they thought it was? "Sakura is dead." Kimurimochi repeated the words like acid on her tongue. "You never met Sakura without meeting me, as far as I can see I belong here more than any of you. If we're going to talk then fine, let's talk." she planked her ass on the ground and stared at them.

She didn't want to have anything to do with them. She didn't want them here with all this hate brewing inside of them. She knew she too was to blame for all that happened to Sakura, she knew she had a part to play in all of this but so did they. Sasuke had a bigger part than anyone else and she hated this heroic thing about him. Trying to save her from all he had done to her, all the problems and troubles he had caused her. He had fucked Sakura over, his baggage that he carried with him and he was here now for what? To save her?

She hated him the most. She hated him for not doing all that he was supposed to do, for not stretching his own flesh over Sakura's skin and bones to protect her, for not telling her everything and keeping her in the loop, for letting his whores and bitches attack and kill her and for giving his enemies the chance to take her. She hated him for being here and putting her in all these situations. She. Fucking. Hated. Him.

Everyone else took a seat. Sasuke took a seat on the steps leading up to the kitchen. Naruto and Shikamaru took a seat in one couch while Neji and Hinata sat in the other. For a long time they just stared at her. She looked like Sakura but nothing like her all at the same time. She knew that. She folded her legs and waited as patiently as she could. She was trapped but certainly not for long. This was child's play.

"What did you do to her?" Sasuke asked after a long while, his voice on a wavelength of too much pain to even convey in humanness it was void.

She stared at him. "What did I do to her?" she asked incredulously. She was a monster. She was an overprotection monster. Was he trying to draw it out of her? "What did I do to her? I patched up her wounds when your girlfriends beat her to death; I tacked her organs together when your soul fucked her from the inside out. I licked the acid from her stomach when it rose in her chest every morning; I stopped it from burning out her fucking throat, from the migraines blowing her brains from her skull. I kept her breathing and gave her my strength when she had none. I stopped her from bleeding to death when a Zafisuguni kidnapped her and strung her up like a toy, implying her with wood sucking the blood from her body."

"Stop it." Hinata whispered.

Fire licked her insides and she walking to the edge of the trap, as close to him as she could get. She squatted down to eye level. "I told her she was beautiful every single goddamn day when she woke up with the scars of _you _and all the scar tissue you left her on every single solitary piece of her skin. I talked her out of it over and over and over again from giving up everything she had inside of her. I _stayed with her_ when your soul DEVOURED HER AND SHATTERED HER RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME SO DON'T YOU DARE –EVER!- FUCKING ASK ME WHAT I DID TO HER!" Kimurimochi's rage blindsided her, her hair whipping around her with eyes lighted like a furnace. _"YOU SASUKE UCHIHA DID THIS TO HER! YOUR SOUL DID THIS TO HER! TOOK THE FUCKING LAST BREATH FROM HER BODY AND YOUR RED-HEADED WHORE HELPED YOU!"_

He launched forward but his Knights grabbed him as she stood there unfazed. She smiled. "What are you going to do? Rip my throat out?" She demanded staring at him down.

Sasuke glowered. "Get out of her body."

She cackled. "You're going to need a Kavazwalian army to make me." She spat. "You walk in here like you own this place and this body. You don't own anything, you don't own her and you don't own me. You don't know anything about her. You don't know anything about what's going on and you sit there in this denial that this can't be your fault and that there must be a way to fix this. You can't fix anything- you've never been able to. Sakura is gone and you can't ever bring her back. All you're good for is breaking things and breaking people."

"That's enough!" Neji shouted letting Sasuke go and pushing him harshly. "This isn't Sakura talking and you can't let this thing get to you. Sasuke we are here to do something and this isn't it." He quipped.

Sasuke dragged his hands over his face. Kimurimochi yawned and stepped back. She folded her arms and watching all these strangers cautiously. She had been watching from the sidelines since Sakura got here. She had been present for every conversation, every opinion and every other thing that had happened.

She had given Sakiura almost all of her strength while they were here, while souls awakened inside of her and her body failed. She wasn't all bad- not where Sakura was concerned. She wasn't. She knew her part in this but they needed to know theirs as well.

"Yeah let's just do this." He said rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles.

She watched him slice his palm and mutter over it before letting the blood touch the carpet. Everyone followed suit and she knew then what they were here for. It dawned on her then that they were here to exercise her from Sakura's body, tear her soul out. Kimurimochi's eyes darkened as she watched them. Her nostrils flared.

"What are you doing?"

"You're not staying in her body." Shikamaru said simply.

They started chanting: "Vere minu veri, liha minu lihast ja nahka minu nahal valatud maha ja vormitud jumalad ja jumalannad, et luuüdi minu hing ma hakkan palvetama tema hinge võtta."

It was like a tickle at the back of her neck and Kimurimochi twitched visibly. This wouldn't work because this spell wasn't strong enough. It was of a high level but so modern, so weak and less ancient but that didn't mean this wouldn't hurt her like hell. Kimurimochi shook her head as if to clear it. She didn't want to ruin Rin's home. There were certain rules she didn't want to break here but she needed to get out of this.

"Kaetud kivi ja tuul, seest varjud heidame, võnkuma ja surevad kaevandis valude, sidumata ja soovimatu, valatud ära nagu tolmu tolmu Jumalanna me palvetame," their voices echoed in unison around her.

It was almost like she was shocked, something trying to short her out like a battery. Damnit this wasn't how things were supposed to go. Not right now with all the progress she just made. If she hadn't eaten that day when she had, maybe this would send her to her knees and hurt her like it should but she had eaten and so it didn't. She had gained her strength back by eating and sleeping in the earth, taking in all that there was to take in. She growled, an animalistic kind of sound hard and deep like a dragons rumble. She felt the pain seeping into and her head shook again, almost like she was stuck between reality and insanity.

Kimurimochi sat down cross legged and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath ignoring the painful tremor that went down her spine. She whispered under her breath, the pressure within the room increasing drastically. She could feel them pause but she didn't stop. She wasn't going to stay in this cage. They weren't going to make her. She brought her power down and down and down until it felt like there was so much pressure inside the room everything would smash to pieces. A crack tore through the ground under the carpet and one zipped across the ceiling. Circle broken.

She pushed herself to her feet and stared at the wide eyed fools looking at her. She felt nauseous and sick in her stomach like she was about to vomit. This body wasn't hers, it was Sakura's. This was merely her vessel and she felt like she had been shaken around in it like she was on a rollercoaster.

"I respect Sakura and her love for you that is the only reason I have not laid a finger on you with the hate I harbor against you. Don't ever confront me again. Next time I will kill you Sasuke. Then I will slaughter all your friends." She sneered, turning on her heels and walking through the sliding door.

Her bare feet sank into the earth was she walked around the house and took off. Peace of mind was something Sakura had never had before. It was something that just never presented itself. The sun beat high over head was she roamed- going where she wasn't really sure yet. She just needed to get away.

She had heard whispers through the earth over the past few days about all that was going on in Kanoha. It was still highly populated by Kavazwalians and her presence here now, could go unnoticed with so many of them here. Sasuke was the least of her concerns; she was safe here for the time being. She didn't need an endless supply of time; she didn't need the world all she needed was just a few more weeks. She wasn't going to go back to Sakura's home for another day or two; she needed to give them time to understand that this wasn't their fight.

~O~

Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably on the front steps of Sakura's house. He glanced at his watch for the millionth time and waited. He'd been waiting for her for quite some time now but still she hadn't showed. He didn't know where she went, it was almost impossible for him to trace her it was like the trees and earth swallowed up her trail. He tapped his feet. This wasn't Sakura anymore. It was someone else. It was hard for him to wrap his head around that, to see past the girl he had known last year and to see the one that inhabited her now.

She was ruthless and cold with a temper that lashed full frontal. She was a loudmouth girl who was immensely powerful and knew that. She was nothing like Sakura and Sakura was nothing like her. They had a big part to play in this and all that happened to her and whether or not people wanted to admit it, Sakura was their responsibility as much as anyone else was.

_Sakura's dead. _Not even he could believe it even after he had heard it. There was no way she could be dead but there were no signs of her anywhere. They had tried everything and anything to even get a hint of her soul and there was nothing. There was only this stagnant never ending wave of silence. She was gone.

He knew all too well that it wasn't impossible. She had been put under so much weight physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. She'd been put under too much weight, more than he or anyone he knew could handle. Naruto wasn't going to lie and he wasn't going to try to delude himself; he was surprised Sakura held out this long and had made it this far.

His phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Sasuke. He wasn't sure if he should answer or not. Out of everyone Sasuke took this the hardest and he had so many responsibilities and expectations, he was drowning in work and sorrow. He had no time to mourn Sakura nor time to believe that she was really gone. He could not accept that. Sasuke refused to accept that.

To be fair they all knew this was coming. It had been prophesized over and over again they all knew this. Sasuke had been warned not to leave her. He had been warned by Hinata and Kurenai on many occasions that he should not leave her because it wouldn't end well for the both of them but he never listened.

Naruto had to understand where Sasuke was coming from –and he did. He understood completely that Sasuke was under more pressure than ever, he had responsibilities and duties to uphold, millions of lives were at stake that he had to protect and Sakura –and his happiness- could not take precedence over so many lives. However, Naruto knew if Sasuke had time –more time than Mikoto had given him- this could have been handled better. He had done the best that he could at the time and now he was unable to forgive himself for it –and everyone else too.

"Yeah?" Naruto answered.

"Where are you?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto glanced at his watch. He was supposed to be at the compound with everyone else working but instead he was here. He couldn't explain this to Sasuke –he didn't know how to- but at the same time he could never lie to him. Sasuke had a way of knowing when he was lying and what he was actually doing.

"I'm…a bit occupied at the moment." He replied hesitantly. These days the joy and happiness had been sucked out of him. "Teme I know I should be at work but technically I am working. Just give me some time dude,"

There was a long pause then a sigh. "Naruto," Sasuke said warily, "things have to get done, I don't know if I can do your part while you're gone. I need you here."

Naruto looked down and chewed his lips. He knew he was asking almost too much with all that Sasuke was under but this was work too. He sighed. "I'll make up for it tomorrow. I think I really need to do this."

"You're at her house aren't you?" he accused. Naruto groaned. He didn't want to answer. There was a long period of silence before Sasuke simply hung up.

He saw her then, walking along the side walk and she paused at the gate. She looked nothing like the Sakura he remembered but so much like her nonetheless. Her hair was so pink almost neon, the aquamarine roaring and raging in its brightness at the tips. Her eyes were so alive then, so illuminated in the neon pinks and greens. She was beautiful standing there looking at him, eyes guarded and body rigid. She was simply breath taking, the nightgown she had on was the same one he last seen her in when they had come to take her out of Sakura's body.

Naruto didn't move from where he had at the steps. He didn't want her to think he was here with anybody or that he had a plan for her. He didn't. He was here to talk.

Nobody tried talking to her. Nobody tried figuring out what was going on and he knew that there was more to this. Everyone was just angry and outraged at her, wanted her gone out of Sakura's body and thought everything that came out of her mouth was a lie. Someone had to find out what was going on at least the best that he could. That didn't seem right to him.

When Sakura was here, this kavazwalian girl would protect her- that was the truth and fact of it. She would protect Sakura and defend her there was more to this he had to understand. Nobody could control their emotions well enough and he believed he was the only one who could do this. The only one this Kimurimochi girl would allow to do this.

She stopped in front of him. He held his hands up. "Before you say anything I swear on my life I just want to talk." She didn't say anything. "I came alone." He supplied.

"I know you're alone." She said looking at him carefully.

He didn't look away from her gauze and damn was it strong. Her eyes fired and flared as they locked with his. He was not leaving. There had to be someway some how to fix this and fighting her wasn't one of them. She sighed.

"You're not going to go away are you?" She asked warily.

"Not particularly no." he answered pushing himself to his feet.

"You're the only one I hate the least." She said in perfect Kavazwalian common tongue. She titled her head to the door. "Fine. Come in. If you try anything I will kill you. I'm not going back on my word with that. I don't have time for this." She said bluntly unlocking the door.

He simply nodded. He wasn't really sure how to talk to her when she wasn't who he was used to talking to. He didn't know who she was as a person or otherwise. He remained silent trying to gather his thoughts. This wasn't like talking to Sakura those times before; this was a completely different person. While he was used to talking to strangers and meeting new people and fans and everything, this was completely new to him.

He trailed behind her all the way upstairs. She grabbed some clothes and entered the bathroom, leaving the door open just enough for him to hear her voice through it.

"As you can see, I'm a bit dirty." She called out turning on the shower.

He flushed and even though she couldn't see it nor could they see each other, he respectfully turned his head away from the door. How would he go about this? He knew he had to do it. Someone had to do this but how really would he? What really was he going to say and what really was he expecting from her?

"That's fine." He replied after a long while.

"Naruto," she called, his name alien in this unrealistic way on her tongue her, "is there something I can do for you?"

"Actually," he said waiting for the shower to turn off so she could hear him clearly, "I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you." He said pacing across Sakura's room floor. Or was it Kimurimochi's floor now? He wasn't entirely sure.

She came out then, hair wet at her waist in shorts and a shirt that swallowed her up whole. She started towel drying her hair. "I'm afraid I don't follow." She said politely. "Why would I possibly want any help from any of you for any reason at all?"

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. She was so hypnotic he couldn't even begin to really understand who he was looking at. He'd worked hard to kill those feelings inside of him, very hard and he wasn't really sure who he was feeling them for at this moment in time right now.

"Can we uh….just talk?" he asked uncertainly.

Her eyes became sharp and guarded. "We're talking right now." She responded. "More talking that I told myself I would ever engage in. Why is it that you are here and here alone?" she planked herself down heavily in the chair, her eyes locking with his cerulean ones.

He shifted on his feet. "Yeah…" he trailed off and scratched the back of his head. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "What I mean Kimurimochi is I want to have a discussion with you not only about why you are here right now but what you plan to do henceforth about and with it. I'm not here on the behalf on anyone but my own and I want to get to the bottom of this. I want us to have a conversation about you and about Sakura." He said seriously.

He could tell that saying Sakura's name almost made her cringe as she sat there. She gestured to the room and silently and he sat down at the foot of the bed on the floor. He didn't look away and tried not to show any signs of being intimidated or confused by her.

She sighed. "Sakura is dead. I've said this already."

He didn't flinch. "And what are you doing about that?" he asked as bluntly as he could.

She looked at him incredulously. "What?" she stuttered. "What am I doing that? What the hell do you mean?"

He didn't expect her to lie. He understood why she would but he didn't expect her to because that wouldn't get either of them anywhere. They couldn't just blindly strut about the place trying to find a way to take her out of Sakura's body and she couldn't keep her side either it wouldn't get anyone anywhere.

"I don't expect you to lie to me on the grounds that I come here in peace and you know that." He said simply. "I'm not here to try and attack, I know how idiotic that would be and the chaos that could cause and I'm not here for that."

"I still don't know what you mean."

"What happened to her soul?" Naruto prompted. "What happened to her? What happened to you? How did this happen?"

"She made me do this." Kimurimochi sighed and he saw it then, he saw if flicker in her eyes- pain.

Pain flew across her beautiful eyes and his perception of her changed completely then. She was capable of feelings just like they all were. Part of him softened a little.

"I'm listening." He coaxed.

"Naruto this wasn't supposed to happen, I'm not supposed to be here. She should have been fine. Sasuke's soul was supposed to fix this but it hasn't and her entire being was being pummeled into nothing. Someone had to take over her body at least to her keep her flesh in this physical plane to give her a chance. As slim as it might be. She made me do this, she gave her body to me."

"And her soul?"

She looked away then like she was being sucked into the past. "I'd never seen anything so terrible…I didn't even know that could have happened. It just shattered in front of me; all of her soul just broke into so many pieces, splashing against the walls, staining the entire place. I could feel the death inside of us in that little room. Her soul has been shattered. I'm trying to put the pieces back together."

"How are you doing that? Do you even have the strength for that?"

She smiled then. "Do you know what I am?" She asked carefully. "Did Hinata tell you?"

"She said it wasn't possible." And he was hoping that was still true.

She nodded. "So Hinata called me a liar. Fair enough. I'm not however as you can probably tell. I've tried my best to dim my eyes to fit in but there is only so much I can do. I've eaten more than I could possibly need and I've been resting, I spend some time in the woods and I lack nothing. I'm gaining my strength back more rapidly than even I could have imagined. I'm an Achite. I would appreciate it if you all did not push me to a fight for I do not know what transforming into my true form will do to Sakura's body and I cannot afford to take any risks with it."

He ran his fingers through his hair and nodded. "Can you bring her back?" he dared himself to ask. His fingers were shaking even though he was trying to remain calm.

"I…I don't know." She said sighing then. "There is no information or any guidance on how to do this. I can't risk going to anyone that's a seeing or a vessel of Fate like Kurenai, that puts me in too much danger they would know what I am instantly. My breed is supposed to dead. We aren't but we are supposed to be." She dragged her hands over her face.

"What happens if you get her back?"

"I leave her body."

"Where would you go?" Naruto asked.

He watched the smile spread across her face and she shook her head. "I knew it from the first time I saw you look at her. Did you know that? I saw you falling in love with her; there was no way you couldn't. You couldn't help yourself. That's why you're here right now, taking this kind of risk. Because you're in love with her and you can't believe that she's dead either. I admire you putting your faith in me to bring her back."

"What are you talking about?" his heart almost came through his mouth and he tried not to show anything on his face.

She was a stranger to him and he couldn't show weakness or a lack of confidence. He was here to come to an agreement, to gain understanding and to come to terms with some things. He wasn't here to talk about his own demons that had been battling. He was in love with her that was the truth and Sasuke knew that too. Sasuke was no fool and he called Naruto on it some months ago that Hinata wasn't the only girl he wanted that he couldn't have. Naruto would never act on those feelings and love didn't just mean sexual. He wanted her to be safe just like everyone else and he wanted her back just as much as they did.

He looked at the floor, the tips of his fingers playing with his black jeans. He wasn't here for that and he wasn't going to talk about that with anyone not even her. He took a deep breath; he had to stay on task here. He was missing so much work which was then being dumped on Sasuke by being here. He was selfishly neglecting responsibilities when Sasuke literally hadn't even had the time to sleep or think or even breathe with all the work they had. He was surprised that they had found time to try and do that spell.

"You know what I'm talking about. The only reason you're here is because your love propelled you here. I'm not going to be here if I can get Sakura back. I won't be here to deplete her body, wear and tear her down anymore. I was never able to leave before. Trust me I had tried many times before but whatever Kurenai had done to me those years ago when I first entered Sakura's body prevented that."

"They would find you in a heartbeat. If you're an Achite, a bounty would be on your head in a second. There would be no way you'd go unnoticed."

"I really don't care." She said simply. "I don't care what happens to me. I've been alive long enough. I can take care of myself; I'm strong enough to stay alive. If it comes down to me not being able to and I die then so be it. I just want her back. I need her back and alive and I have to do whatever it takes."

"We are making that hard for you aren't we?"

"Yes. Yes you all are." She agreed. "I am not here to stay Naruto. I do not intend to be in her body for a long period of time but putting the pieces of a soul together, so fragile and delicate one wrong move and everything is done. That's it the only chance I have is gone. Do you understand that? I did not come here on my own, I never wanted to leave her but she wouldn't let me make that choice. Here I am and I have to do something. I am the only one who can." Her eyes watered and she wiped them before the tears could fall.

"You've been with her all her life." Naruto said understandingly.

"I've been with her since the day she was born." She sighed holding her head. "This rests on me. This is my responsibility. I have to fix this for her even it costs me my life."

He stood then and held his hand out. "Well then, I'll do whatever it is you need me to do to. I will do anything to help you."

She stared at it for a long time before taking it. "Is that a deal?"

"It's a deal." He agreed. "You have my word."

_**AND there you have it guys! Another chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! I went a seminar today and I just wanted to give you some inspiration. It may be hard now and it may even seem impossible but keep at it, keep going till you make it, do what you have to do and work hard you'll get there. All those obstacles you could be facing, jump over them, go around them, hit them down, go through them! Do what you have to do because at the end of the day, there is going to come a time when you need to pay your own bills. **_

_**Much Love, **_

_**D.V **_


	60. Chapter 60

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**____**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__ __**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty]**

Sasuke sat at the head of the table and cracked his knuckles. He stared blankly into one of his Black Blades' face.

"Yes and?" Sasuke asked bluntly.

His knights were already seated around the table, scrolls piled high everywhere with jars of ink and pens strung out. They had been at this paper work thing all day and Sasuke was in no mood for things he deemed trivial. This was one of them.

"She wants us to kill her." He stuttered. "She keeps begging for it and its driving us up the wall." He explained hesitantly.

He should be afraid. Sasuke had become a ruthless, unforgiving harsh thing to deal with. They were afraid to even look at him too hard because killing came as easy to him as breathing these days; it was something that seemed to become a drug. He had no affection for them and he was not afraid to tear their heads off for wasting his time.

"That's wonderful." Sasuke replied. "I don't however see your point. I do not have any more time whatsoever to donate to Karin and whatever hell she's going through down there. She's suffering on no account of mine; I'm quite fine with that."

He remembered the time he had already spent on her vividly. It was like a glint in the shadows and a fond memory of his. He remembered her laborious screams and her skin ripping and tearing at the seams. He remembered everything. However, he had enough people to torture and kill he wasn't remotely lacking in that department and he had no urge to go and do it again. As a matter of fact, Sasuke didn't get the urge to kill anymore; it was simple involuntary reflex he never dared deny himself.

_He stood outside the door and stared at it. He glanced at his watch before pushing it open with force and stepping in. Karin stood in the empty room back away from him. When the door closed her head whipped around, red hair stained and long with her eyes wild. She sneered. She'd been crying he could tell by the puff that underlined each eye and he could tell she hadn't slept either. What a pity. _

"_What are you doing?!" she screamed tugging at the chains that clamped around her hands. _

_She bore holes into him. He almost smirked. He looked in the mirror and didn't even know who he was anymore and frankly, he didn't care. She didn't hate him as much as he wished she would. _

_He wanted to tear her to shreds but it surprised him how calm he was. He wasn't losing any form of control. He had it all under wraps as he stood there arms folded staring at her. He just couldn't understand. He couldn't understand how she came to destroy the most precious thing to him. He couldn't understand between where and when he let her in enough to do this. He couldn't understand why he didn't see this or why she did this. He couldn't understand why she would take Sakura away from him. He just…Sasuke couldn't understand it. She did all this and he couldn't understand why. _

_He had everything under control staring at the face of the thread that unraveled down to his very flesh. He was calm staring at her and it was then Sasuke realized how inhumane he had become. He would have been less dangerous to her and everything around him if he had lost his mind in his rage but he didn't. silent. Lethal. He was going to skin her flesh from her bones. He was calm and he knew what he was then; he had become an unavoidable plague like death. Inevitable. _

"_The chains bother you?" he asked casually in concern. _

_Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Sasuke why are you doing this?! Why are you keeping me locked down here?" _

"_Why? That's the grade A question right?" he asked looking around and at the ceiling. Using his thumb he started cracking his knuckles one at a time. "I'm not even sure why I have you chained up in here anymore either really now that I think about it."_

_He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his shoes clicking and clacking against the floor as he made his way over to her. The chains were anchored into the ground so she couldn't move from her spot all across the room. A phoenix yet for some reason the chains were still holding her as she stood there. She could sit on the floor too but he had found her standing. She knew he would come. _

"_How long could these chains even hold you for?" he inquired curiously. _

_She sniffled. "Not long but it's laced with iron. It's burning into my skin." She wailed. "Sasuke I didn't do anything! You know me! You know I would never do something like that you're my friend!" _

_Sasuke nodded and took the cuffs off from her hands. She hissed and rubbed her wrists, pain creasing her forehead from where the iron had burnt through her flesh. She held her hands close to her chest and stared at him, her eyes big and wide with their redness. Oh Karin. _

"_I'm your friend?" he echoed turning to look at her. He started unbuttoning his jacket. "And that's all you've ever wanted me to be Karin? Your friend?" he shrugged himself out of it slowly. _

_His body wasn't even shaking. There was just this calmness inside of him. There wasn't that rage blinding him like he thought there would be, there wasn't that need to simply rip her throat out. His vision didn't blur and he wasn't overcome with all those emotions the way he used to get._

_She stumbled backward. He could see the red running into her cheeks. "What are you doing? Listen, Sasuke, you know me better than anyone…"_

"_What does that mean?" he inquired calmly loosening his cufflinks. "I'm asking you, if you have ever wanted to be more than just my friend Karin. Let us be real here, you're already in this room, what else could I possibly do to you?" _

_His fingers hung over the first button to his shirt. He didn't start unbuttoning that yet as he stood there staring at her. He could the pulse in her eyes as she stared at him, uncertain about what he was doing and where this was going. She swallowed. She'd never seen him naked. Matter of fact he so rarely ever saw Karin that she'd never even seen him without his shirt on. When he and Keiako broke up, he had seen nothing of her since then until now. Throughout those times he had changed and so had she._

_Her skin was so red with the veins hot and pulsing in the side of her neck. Her skin was nice, smooth the way he liked the skin of a woman to be. Her eyes were sketchy and suspicious; guarded. They would not stay so for long because Sasuke could sieve right through that in a matter of moments. He knew how to get what he wanted, even in the most obvious ways. _

"_I have thought about that." she stuttered. "Where are you going with this?"_

_He smirked coyly. "Karin," her name rolled off his tongue like sex dosed in poison, he watched the hairs rise against her skin for Sasuke could be a very, very persuasive thing. "Have you eaten?"_

_Her back pressed against the wall, her chest rising and falling quickly. She looked around like a scared animal locked in a cage as if she was looking for some help or some way out. There was none. There was no way out of this hell. _

"_N-no…" she sputtered. "Sasuke…I..." she trailed off unable to finish. _

_He loosened the first button of his shirt all the while keeping his eyes on her as he continued. He had always known that Karin liked him. Keiako was her best friend when he had just met them both and he had chosen Keiako over her. You would think that this was something she would have gotten over but the more he looked into her eyes and the raging lust and triumph and desire that settled in there he could not deny it._

_Her eyes held the lust of deception. Her eyes looked like the eyes of Tami when she stepped and walked and trampled over women to get to him, a woman blinded by a vision of desire. He saw it there and he could not deny that she had done this. She had done this to him. _

_He started tugging the shirt off him. He stepped closer to her, almost close enough for their bodies to touch. "How would you like to eat me instead then?" he whispered, his eyes darken and deep with a lust so tempting there was no way any woman could say no to him. _

_He grasped her wrist, skin burnt down to the bone. Her delicate fingers trembled and he placed on his chest, clothed in his undershirt. He dragged her hand down his chest to grip the edge of his shirt. She looked up at him. _

"_Wh…"_

_He kissed her then, lacing his lips with hers. He felt her insides tremble, the groan and sigh slipping into the air around them, the hunger burning inside of her. he felt her sink right into it, pressing her lips into his as the flesh consumed her and her desired seemed to blossom. And he followed. He feigned the desire so well even he believed it as he followed her lips until he felt the heat settle and fall over her, the perks of her nipples against the pain of the burns. _

"_Wha…"_

"_Shhh," the tip of his tongue traced hers, "and take it off." He commanded. _

_She looked up at him lost. Dazed. Gone. Poor thing. She tipped on her toes and pulled the undershirt off him. The action was painful for her, he could tell but she pretended like she didn't feel it. A gasp escaped her lips at the sight of his naked chest. He'd long since gotten a scar in the center of his chest from all the phases Sakura had gone through and how many times it ripped his human form open._

_He smirked. "You didn't answer me." He said huskily. _

"_Yess," she breathed out. _

"_Yes what?" _

"_Yes," she groaned, "I want to eat you."_

"_Good." He said gripping her throat vengefully; hate blossoming so quickly in his eyes shock took her tenfold. "You're going to have to or else I'm going to tear your soul from your bones and eat it for you." _

_She gagged her hand slapping against him as she choked. His grip tightened around her frail little neck, he could feel the airway shut down tight. Her eyes rolled over and her feet, hot and powerful connected with him sending him flying. He collided into the wall. He laughed and stood, brushing off his pants. _

"_Come on Karin, you can do far better than that can't you?" he teased evilly._

_She bent at the waist gasping and wheezing before him. "I'm not in chains." She seethed. _

_Sasuke smiled. "I know." He said. "This wouldn't be fun if you were." _

_Quick light lightening he was behind her, lightening missing her by an inch as she transformed. She was huge and gorgeous. Her wings so wide and feathers so red she looked like a ball of fire. She screeched, wings flapping, fire coming down towards him. Sasuke laughed heartily shredding his own skin. If she thought he was going to hold back she was mistaken. _

_He was going to destroy her soul. Literally because he was a soul eater and that was what he was made to do. Devour. _

"Then we keep doing what we're doing?" he asked uncertainly.

"She'll stay right where she is." Sasuke said simply.

For now he was more than through with her. He didn't have any time to give to her anymore. In his mind he had already given her more than she could possibly need. He'd done some of his finest works with her and this was expected. This was what should happen with her. He was no peasant. He was no weakling. He was no little boy. Cross him and you paid. He accepted his responsibility. He accepted his mistakes. He accepted all his bad decisions – he could not make the right ones all the time but he was also vengeful. He had a wrath and Karin crossed him. She crossed him and he didn't see it. What she did was unforgiveable and she had to do penance.

"Is that all?" Neji quipped. "Sasuke we don't have the time for this."

Sasuke nodded and cracked his neck. "Now isn't a good time Roghugo as you can probably tell and I do not like being this way when there is no cause for it. Tomorrow, around five would be a better time and we can speak privately about all these matters that are at hand. I'm fully aware that we have a lot of work to do, a lot of people to see and a lot of mess to clean up. Doing all these things has spread me fairly thin these days." He explained apologetically.

It was hard for him to do one job without neglecting another. He had two factions and his Black Blades were having a hard time running without him. Giving orders and leaving the others to run things was not enough. He was the leader and he needed to be present, he needed to oversee and he needed to be able to step in when they were having problems. He used to do that but now; he almost never had the time for it. He couldn't tell when last he saw his panther Darthmouth- an animal he had such strong affection for.

The boy nodded and scurried out the door, locking it behind him. Sasuke instantly turned his attention back to what he believed was one the most important matters at hand.

He looked Naruto hard in the eyes. "What would you have me do then?" he asked carefully.

He knew Naruto went to see Kimurimochi and he knew that he had been there quite often over the past few days but he literally hadn't had the time to even say anything with all that was going on. There was an outbreak just three days prior in a distant Kavazwalian community in Australia. Word had lighted like fire and he had been thrown in work nonstop for the past three days. He'd had no time to even breathe. A lot can happen here in Kanoha in three days, a lot of changing can happen in three days and a lot of reports can pile up.

"Just listen to me." Naruto repeated before his Black Blade had entered.

Sasuke nodded. "I'm listening."

He took a deep breath. "I'm not saying we can trust her. I'm not saying that she even cares about you or me or any of us because she doesn't but we all have a common interest. Sakura. She wants Sakura back as much as we do and we can get her back Sasuke. We all want the same thing where this is concerned and she's not going let us stop her."

"You don't know the first thing about her." Hinata interjected. "You've been spending all your time with this extinct creature rotting out Sakura's body. You think that's okay? Something to be proud of?"

Sasuke cut her a glance. "Keep your feelings out of this you understand? Keep it out or get out. I've absolutely no time for this." He said bluntly. Hinata looked down ashamed. "Do you understand me Hinata?"

She nodded. "Yes I do. That was out of line. I'm sorry." She said quickly.

Naruto rolled his eyes and almost sneered in her direction. "Like I was saying, Sasuke, we can't get rid of her. She was born long before us, she's been around longer than us and she's stronger than us. It would take so much to get rid of her it would probably destroy Sakura's body in the process. Her body is being preserved, alive and well. Her soul, the pieces are still there. Sakura is still there, the harder we make this for this Kavazwalian then the less of her we are going to have."

"And you know this because of what? Because she says so?"

"Because she's done so." He said. "I've seen it."

He felt his heart constrict in his chest. "Seen what?"

"Inside. She showed me inside. I have never seen anything so horrific In my life. Her soul is just in pieces everywhere, it's stained everything…there is this nothingness there."

"What are you asking me to do Naruto?" he asked steadily. "You're asking me something. What is it?"

"Trust me." Naruto begged. "Teme just trust me."

"Naruto I do trust you." Sasuke said. "I trust you with my life. You know this but this isn't about trust. This has nothing to do with that. This has to do with responsibilities which we all have a lot of. This is about priorities."

"I know that but all you have to do is give me permission to do this." He scratched his head. "She won't talk to any of you, she doesn't like us. She'll tolerate me, I'm the only person she's even remotely willing to let help in a way and from what I can tell, she needs help. She needs our help to bring Sakura back. She's going to need your help Sasuke."

"I know that you love with her like all of us and you want her here just like the rest of us. I _know _how much you want Sakura back." He said carefully gauging Naruto's reaction. He held his hand up before Naruto could say anything. "I know that you want her here more than anything. Naruto, look at me when I'm talking to you. I'm over here."

"Maybe we should just go." Shikamaru said. "If you want some privacy."

"No," Sasuke said steadily. "I do not want any privacy; this concerns all of us as long as long as you see Sakura as your concern as well. Naruto I am over here."

He looked up and took a deep breath. "Yes." He said lip tight.

Sasuke leaned forward. "I also know that it why you went back to her. It has been killing you the way it has been killing me. Correct?"

Sasuke heard Hinata shift around uncomfortably to his left but he paid her no mind. Sakura mattered to all of them in this room. She mattered to Shikamaru and Neji and Naruto like she had mattered to him. she meant something to all of them and he knew, that Naruto valued her more than anything. He wanted to protect her and he felt like he had failed Sakura the way he had but he hadn't. Sasuke failed her, he didn't but like Sasuke, Naruto couldn't forgive himself either.

Naruto nodded his head, eyes solemn. "Yes. You are correct Legeem." He replied reluctantly.

"I will let you do this as long as you know what might happen when you do. As long as you understand what this all means."

Naruto nodded. "I do know." He said. "Kimurimochi isn't going to stop and she's willing to leave. Sakura is not dead Sasuke. She's not and we can't wait until she is."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair and nodded. "Fine." He said then ignoring all forms of pain. "I'll cover for you and we're here for anything you need. I expect reports on everything that is going on do you understand? You're also expected to keep up with everything that you will be missing."

Naruto nodded. "That's no problem." He said blue eyes hard.

Naruto was his best friend. Naruto was part of his ribs and lungs and legs. Naruto was part of him. Sasuke couldn't remember a period where he didn't know this boy. He couldn't remember having any other friends before meeting him. Naruto understood Sasuke like the back of his hand.

He nodded again. "Thank you." He said looking over to Hinata and right then he knew what Naruto was thanking him for.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Now," he said, "You all may leave."

They all left the room in silence but Naruto still sat there. He sat there at the other end of the table with his head down. For a while, they both sat there in silence.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said after a long while.

He nodded. "I know. God knows I'm sorry too." His voice was wet and husky. "Damnit Sasuke this wasn't supposed to happen. It seemed like I fell after how gone I realized she was… I don't know how I let that happen but I would never, ever no matter what-"

"Naruto I know that." Sasuke said. He wasn't mad. Sasuke was never mad. He knew he was in love with Sakura months ago and he had confronted him once but he had never been mad. _**(A/N In case you want to be refreshed with this encounter check chapter 40 at your leisure.)**_"I know that it is not fair that you can't have Hinata either. I know that."

He looked up and heaved. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"But it did." Sasuke pushed his seat back and sat on the edge of the table. He rested his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Dobe I failed her. Not you. Not anyone else. Me. I know that and I accept responsibility for that. I have to live with that every single day. I do. Not you. You can't fail her too."

"I won't." He sighed rising from his chair. "I get up and honestly dude I don't know how the fuck we all ended up here. I don't know how this happened to us and I can't even see a way out of this nightmare anymore."

Sasuke sighed. "There probably isn't any." He said simply. "We've all been dealt some shitty cards here that we can't change even if we wanted to. I know what all this means." He looked down and laughed. "You think I don't know that even if we get Sakura back that she will never want me?"

"Sasuke-"

He looked up at Naruto. Sometimes he wanted to open his mouth and speak. Sometimes Sasuke wanted to be heard, he needed to be heard. He wanted someone to know but the truth was, it didn't matter. They couldn't forgive him for what he had done to her; they couldn't wipe his memory or his pain or even clear this darkness. Only she could do that and she never would…she never could…not now. He had his own penance to pay.

"Naruto," Sasuke said simply, "If it was not for me she would still be here. I know what I have done to her and I know to what extent I have destroyed her. We could bring her back a million times, what I have done can never be undone. I've already been unraveled and I can't be put right again. Do you not see the kind of monster I have become?" he asked deadpanned.

"You'll cross that bridge when you get there." Naruto said. "I've seen what it's done to you but with the way things are going we don't know anything for sure. We won't ever know anything for sure Sasuke. Since she got here we have been moving blindly into darkness. We knew from the start that your love story with her was going to be horrific. We still don't know how it ends."

"Perhaps this is how."

Naruto shook his head. "No." He said with that unbelievable conviction of his. "Nothing is going to end for us the way it is now." He patted Sasuke on the back before turning to leave.

Sasuke watched him go. To love was to feel pain.

_He walked around the room twirling the long ironclad chain in his hand. He strolled around casually listening to the blood rushing through his body, the beating of his heart calm but roaring like a water fall. _

"_Sasuke please!" she screamed, her voice full of beg. _

_He did not care. "I imagine she had begged as well?" he asked crouching in front of her bleeding and hunched over body. _

_She was naked. She had been naked for some time now after she had resurrected herself from her ashes. That was something she couldn't control. Coming back from the ashes. It was always an unpleasant experience for her kind. He sat there and waited it out, again and again. How many times had he done this? He'd had lost track after she couldn't go into her true form anymore. _

_Her bare skin was flaming red, skin split wide open and down to the white meat. Burnt marks adorned her skin from the iron he had forced through her arms and legs. Her eyes were so pleading, wailing and begging. She coughed and blood came out. _

"_I was never…" she gasped. "I was never there for that."_

_He nodded understanding. "That makes it even worse." He said and without remorse brought the iron down into her back. It burnt right in, splitting the skin three insides wide and almost fifteen inches long._

_She screamed and her body convulsed from the pain and she rolled away. He stood there staring at her but she didn't stop screaming, wailing with tears gushing from her eyes. Her legs and arms twitched and trembled from the pain, veins taught in her temples. _

_Losing Sakura had turned him into a beast. It had turned him into the most blood thirsty and callous inhumane thing to walk this planet. Losing her had crippled him in a way he could still not understand. There was so much madness. She did this. She had done this to them. Blinded by her greet and gluttony she had destroyed his entire life. She had destroyed them all. _

"_I'M SORRY!" Blood driven was her cry. Mercy was it full of emotions and beg. "PLEASE! SASUKE PLEASE!"_

_He grabbed her wad of hair and talked above her lips. "This is our private time Karin," he said darkly, "is this not what you wanted?" he taunted her. _

_She was crying so hard her entire body shook. Her brows creased and she weakly grabbed his hands. "Sasuke please," she begged, "forgive me." _

_He smiled them. "No," he said softly, "you glorious little thing. I do not know forgiveness. She is gone to me and for that, I can never be forgiven. Even that you took from me. You took my redemption and salvation away Karin." _

_He wrapped the iron around her wrist where the skin hung lose, red with muscles and tendons stripped down. The skin had long gone; he was practically wrapping it around bone. It started burning through her bone, he saw it red and inflamed like hot iron. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Nothing came through her lips, the pain too much once again and blinding her. _

"_You lost this round again Karin." He informed her. _

_So far in their little game, Karin had lost and hadn't eaten a piece of him. He so far had been dining on her a little at a time. He didn't take all her soul at once because that wouldn't have been any fun. She kept shaking her head, delirious. She knew what losing meant. _

"_As you took from me, so I shall take from you Karin." _

_**And there you have it! Another chapter! I was very stubble about introducing Naruto being in love with Sakura, I've only hinted at it a few times throughout the story because I wanted you guys to figure it out on your own. I don't want you guys to get a misconception about what him being in love with her is though so keep your mind open. I started hinting that it was manifesting slowly into something else, around chapter 38, go check that out. **_

_**I hope you all are having a great week! I have exams so wish me luck! I know I'm late with this chapter, I know I usually put them up on a Friday or a Saturday but hell, I'm giving it to you guys before the weekend it done! HAVE A GREAT WEEK GUYS!**_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	61. Chapter 61

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty One]**

"Naruto," Kimurimochi said warily, "You're making me highly uncomfortable."

Naruto flushed and laughed. "I am?" he asked awkwardly. "I don't particularly know what I'm expected to do here."

"Whatever it is, sitting there and just staring at me for hours is really starting to piss me off." She informed him sitting up from her position on the floor to stare blankly at him.

He held his hands up. He had agreed to help her and he had also agreed to keep tabs on her to make his reports. That involved being around her more than either of them would have liked. At the moment, he was starting to realize he was more of a prop than anything else. He wasn't contributing by any means and he too was getting bored.

While she was fairly pretty to look at he was feeling pretty invasive sitting there and doing just that. He could then understand her starting to feel uncomfortable with his presence. He wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

"Perhaps it's time for me to go?" he asked uncertainly.

"Why don't you go hunt or something?" she asked staring up at him titling her head. "I get you're all probation officer here but why don't you go do that? Don't you have responsibilities?"

He was relatively starving if he was being honest. She was right. He hadn't gone hunting in a while which he much preferred to going to some Kavazwalian place to get food. It's not that he hated it but it never tasted as good as the real thing. Now that he was watching her he could go hunting more often but he just hadn't. He didn't really trust her and he had to keep an eye on her.

"I do but Sakura is at the top of the list."

"As she is at the top of mine as well," she laid back with a heavy sigh. "I'm starting to think this might not work." She said.

For a second he was stricken. He just stared at her. Since they had come to this agreement she hadn't had any other kind of personal conversation with him since; at least not really. She didn't confess her fears or her beliefs, nor did she explain anything really about herself throughout their time together. Sure they talked –there was no way they wouldn't, they didn't hate each other but still. She was still alien to him. He stumbled over his words.

"What do you mean?" he asked sitting down.

"Think about it." She said of a long while. "Even if I do put her back together so much of her is already gone. Who do you think is going to take over this body? Who do you think is going to greet you?"

"I don't know."

"Naruto, I'm seeing that our selfish gain is what is driving us to do this. Sakura doesn't matter. We aren't doing this for her."

"Yes we are." He said without hesitation. "We are doing this for her."

Kimurimochi sat up instantly. She shook her head. "No, we aren't. I'm not. You're not. We're not doing this for her because which rightful person would want to bring her back to this half of who she is? Open your eyes and think about it. You want her back because _you _don't want to live without her. I want her back because I can't stand the idea that she's dead, I can't live with that. We're not doing this because we both know Sakura's happier not being here anymore but we want her here because we're miserable without her. I'm miserable without her."

"I never thought about it like that." he said honestly. "I just thought that this should have never happened to her. We should have never let this happen to her Kimurimochi but we did and since it shouldn't have happened, we have to fix it."

She looked up and around the room, Sakura's madness all over them. The windows were wide open and light showered in. "Look at all this. Look what we did to her." she muttered lost. She was so beautiful. "How did we let this happen? How could we do this to someone?"

He looked down. He didn't know what to say. Sakura had been a victim of many unfortunate events. She had been witness to many things she never should have been and had been caught up in this wind. She'd been caught up in this nightmare that they lived in. That's what their life was these days. A walking nightmare.

"Kimurimochi, can I ask you something?"

She turned to look at him then and for a long while he couldn't see any trace of Sakura there at all. He didn't even recognize her as she stared at him. She nodded.

"I don't see why not."

"What has Sakura ever done for you?" he asked carefully. "What has she done for you that are so different from every other vessel you've ever been in?"

She smiled. "Sakura loved me." She took a deep breath and stood. "It's almost impossible to articulate the magnitude of that. Sakura doesn't know what my face looks like; she had never even learnt my true name. She knew nothing about me, she didn't care. She loved me. I'd spent my entire life running, jumping from body to body scorned and hated by my own people. She's the first vessel that willingly accepted me; willingly gave me her body as a home."

"You have to be here."

"What?"

Naruto sighed. He had been thinking about it for a very long time on a much deeper level how significant Kimurimochi was. He'd been thinking long and hard about it and he had realized that without her bringing Sakura back was pointless because she would never last. Sakura had never been without her inner. Since the day she was born, Kimurimochi had always been there. When Sakura was alone, sick, deranged, weak, mad, angry and every other thing, the one person that was always there for her was the one in her head. Sakura wasn't Sakura without her. There was no way she could be.

Naruto saw them as one and the same because they were. If Sakura had been born without this Kavazwalian she would have probably been dead already. She would have been a completely person. Kimurimochi was largely responsible for Sakura being who she was. There was no way she would be able to survive without that. Kimurimochi was the literally the last and probably most important person Sakura had ever had. He knew that.

"If you do this you have to be here. She has never known life without you. You cannot leave her here alone. If you do this you have to stay. Even if it is a little while." He took a deep breath. "And if she wants, you have to take her with you."

Kimurimochi did a double take before smiling. "Like I said, we don't know what I'm bringing back. She might be someone neither of us has ever met. Someone who doesn't want me around anymore and I know that. I haven't earned her body. I don't deserve to walk in her skin but it won't be the same when she gets back here."

Naruto stood and titled his head to the door, pushing his hands into his pockets. "Come hunt with me." He said before he could stop himself.

"What?"

"You must be hungry. Come out and hunt with me. You might be stronger but I'm far faster." He said confidently.

She had been in the house for so long. They were keeping Rin out of the loop but she had been in this room, hadn't left and had barely slept. He had gotten some food for her before but he was sure she was hungry now and could get out of the house.

There was this place east of here, high in the hills that he hunted by himself when he wasn't doing any kind of work. It was one of the best places to go with so much space and peace.

He probably shouldn't have invited her but he was weak somewhere inside of him. Deep and dark somewhere inside of him was weak and he just didn't want to go hunting alone. He wanted her to come with him not only to keep his eyes on her but to talk to her. When they did talk it took his mind off things and would like to have her company around to at least keep his mind in the present.

She stared at him for a while and the skin that was Sakura slipped away he could swear he could make out Kimurimochi beneath it all. It felt like he could see through her and the more he saw, the more he realized how important she was. Not just at bringing Sakura back but also keep Sakura here, keeping Sakura sane and helping them fix things in any way that they could.

"One, you're probably not faster than I am and two, I probably shouldn't for various reasons." She shifted on her feet. "You can always just bring food back here like you did the last time."

"Yes because I so very much enjoyed draining the blood out of a deer and bottling them for you. Not to mention how excited I was to chop him up in pieces and let him decompose so I could bag him up, put him in a cooler and bring him here. I can imagine how much you believe I enjoyed doing that kind of thing for you Kimurimochi. It was a blast." He said deadpanned.

She laughed then. "You wanted to help me. That's helping."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not doing it again. Either way," he said heading to the door only slightly disappointed, "you have to get your own food."

He was closing the door when she grabbed it. He looked over his shoulder and she looked at him before wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah okay fine." She said sighing. "I'm hungry."

"You're going to hunt in that?" he asked.

She looked down at what she had on. She was in pajamas and a big shirt. She shrugged. "Is that a problem? I don't need to change to go hunting. It gets messy anyways." She informed him planking down the steps.

He wanted to see how she worked with Sakura's body. He wanted to see her in motion and who she was. He wasn't sure why but he was glad to have someone's company even if it was hers. She wasn't all bad and they were on the same team. They wanted the same things.

~O~

He felt uncomfortable being around Hinata these days. Naruto found it hard and painful at the same time to even be in the same room with her. They could hardly have a conversation and it was like she hated his guts. It was like she blamed him for all that had happened, for why they couldn't have each other and why they could never have anything. It wasn't his fault and it wasn't her fault either. They weren't responsible for this but she was lethal about it. It was a side of her he didn't really know.

She was usually almost always in control of herself. With her gifts Hianta had to be, she saw so much and had to bear its weight she had to learn self control. However, these days she had the most horrific outburst towards him where she would say the meanest things. She didn't stutter anymore. Life had dragged all that shyness right out of her but still, it was unbearable for him.

He didn't expect to see her when he stopped by Sasuke's house. She was never there without reason but she was just there with Neji. He didn't really say much to her. There wasn't much he could say. He plopped down in the couch next to Sasuke who was on his laptop ignoring everything around him. He glanced at Naruto.

"You ate." He stated absentmindedly.

That was one thing about Sasuke. He noticed everything about him. He knew everything about him. There was nothing Naruto did that Sasuke couldn't figure out. They were so in tuned to each other and had been around each other so long. Naruto nodded. He was tired.

"Yeah I did."

Sasuke paused and sat up straighter. He squinted his eyes the way he always did when he got a bad vibe from him. Naruto rolled his eyes. "Teme really?" He groaned. He hated when Sasuke tried to analyze him and was almost always right.

"You took her with you didn't you?" he accused.

Naruto laughed. "You gotta do that all the time? It's in the fucking report man God." He said pulling it out a scroll from his bag and throwing it in his face.

It hit Sasuke's face and he glared. "Don't sass me Dobe." He said snatching it up from his lap and throwing it into the pile of reports next to his foot. "What goes up with that?" he asked carefully.

"The same thing that has been going up with that."

"I'm fucking warning you with that tone." Sasuke said. "You know that's not what I fucking meant when I fucking asked you that."

Naruto laughed. He was stressed. He increased in threats and profanity when he was excessively stressed. He could tell. "What happened?" Naruto asked.

"Define happened." He replied typing. "As far as I'm concerned all that's happened still hasn't stopped happening and you didn't answer me. Don't think I didn't notice."

"What?"

"For fucks sake Naruto," Sasuke swore, "Focus!"

Neji laughed. "He's been sitting there for roughly five hours. No breaks. He's on a fine line." He said.

Naruto rolled his eyes and simply snatched the laptop out of Sasuke's lap and shutting it. "Yeah well it's time for a break then. Get the fuck up and go eat and fix that attitude. You look like a fucking mess."

Sasuke glared at him, lethal and deadly. Naruto simply stood there. Naruto had never seen him this stressed in all his life before. The weight on his shoulders wasn't fair nor was it easy for him. With the chaos that happened the other day, he'd been to so many council meetings and sent under so much. He had two factions running and so many secrets hiding.

"Sasuke, you can't stay like this." Neji agreed.

Naruto placed down the laptop. He gestured to the kitchen. "Teme, I've got private things to talk to you about anyway."

Sasuke sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He yawned and stretched. He glanced down at the pile next to the couch with burning hate. He looked like himself but nothing like himself at the same time. He seemed like he was slimmer maybe and he finally –surprisingly- had bags under his eyes. He hadn't slept in days. He dragged his hands over his face.

"Come on then," Sasuke said making his way towards his kitchen. He opened his fridge and pulled out two tall thermoses from the freezer and a spoon.

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "You don't have any fresh souls about?"

Sasuke glared. "Where the fuck am I supposed to find time to go out and get fresh souls Naruto? Tell me now."

He laughed. "Calm your tits dude. You could have asked me." He said.

"Between what time? Trial time or watching Sakura time?" he asked deadpanned walking out of the kitchen. "I look like fucking shit, I know this. What else is new?" he inquired.

Naruto followed behind him and closed the door to his office once they were inside. He locked it as well. It wasn't that he wanted to keep secrets from everyone else but he didn't know what information Sasuke wanted to let out and what he didn't. On his hunting with Kimurimochi he had learned some things. Things he didn't even trust to put in the report least it be found.

Sasuke planked down in a chair and opened a thermos. Using a spoon he scooped out something icy blue like ice-cream and started eating it.

"God this is terrible." He muttered eating. "How goes it now?" he asked warily.

Naruto paced. "There is the problem of Kirmurimochi actually leaving Sakura's body and Sakura's soul taking back its place. There is the issue that Kimurimochi hasn't been able to leave Sakura's body completely. She's telling me that she's tried many times before Kurenai's help since they were never compatible but it's never seemed to help."

"This is where I come in?" he asked calmly.

Sasuke didn't even seem fazed at Naruto spoke. Naruto had noticed how hardened in his heart his best friend had become, how immune to anymore pain and suffering and how he dived head first into the pain of others. Naruto was starting to think that Sasuke hurt so bad he was starting to enjoy how own pain, unable to remember what being without it felt like. He had changed for the worse in the person he was. He was becoming just like his father.

"I think so."

"What is it you need then?" Sasuke asked.

"She's going to need your help. Do you remember about Orochimaru? I don't think we can do this without his help either."

"My soul is also still inside of her." Sasuke nodded with understanding.

Naruto titled his head to the side. Something was off. He had expected the mention of Orochimaru's name to surprise him. They hadn't said that man's name in more years than they could remember. Sasuke hadn't mentioned him either since they had once had a terrible history with one another and Orochimaru had fled.

"Do you know where he is?"

Sasuke nodded his head. "I do." he replied casually. "I tracked him down since we came back from the Agape Forest."

For a moment Naruto didn't understand what that meant or why he never knew about this. "Why?"

"As the Legeem I figure we might need his help for one thing or another. I took the initiative. If you're asking me if I knew what I would need him for don't be absurd. Of course I did not. Now, I am starting to." He said honestly setting the first empty thermos on the table.

"Have you contacted him?" Naruto asked impulsively.

"I've no need to." Sasuke said simply. "When she's ready for my assistance then we'll get to that. I am of no use to her nor is Orochimaru if she doesn't do her end of this bargain."

"If she doesn't Sakura will be dead for sure."

Sasuke smiled and for a second, Naruto didn't recognize him. "Naruto don't you see? Sakura will never die."

_**And there you have it! Another chapter! I know I missed an update last weekend and that my update this week is really late but I'm just asking you guys to pardon me! I had a lot of things going on for me, talk about drama drama and then my keyboard broke, it just wasn't my week guys but I'm back at it! I know that this chapter is on the short side of the lawn too and I know a lot of you guys like the long ones so I just want to apologize about that too! I still hoped you all enjoyed it even though it was short! **_

_**Thank you SO much for all your reviews! They mean the world to me and I love them so much! I hope you all are celebrating the holidays in whatever way you're used to celebrating it! Try something new! Try something different! The year is almost over!**_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	62. Chapter 62

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Two]**

Naruto had gone hunting without her. That shouldn't have bothered her and to a large extent, it didn't. However, to some lesser place it did. She had been in the house for days now, she usually was and she felt caged. Working on Sakura was no joke and required all of her work and effort. She wasn't going to let Naruto distract her but just for a second, she wished she could take a break and go hunt with him.

Strangely she enjoyed his company. He could almost be classified as her friend too. Just barely but he was getting there. She took a long and deep breath. Her chest rose and she let her strength and power wrap around her like a blanket and channeled it where it was supposed to go. She was making significant progress thanks to Naruto and his help. Sometimes, he would give his power to her too. That was something she had never expected from him. His sincerity in helping her.

Kimurimochi let her mind get sucked down into the plane of the soul and into that room. The silence in her head was almost maddening but she ignored it, using her strength like glue to continuously put together the pieces. Locking and sticking them, one on top and over and between and against each other. It took all her efforts and all her time.

Inside of her seemed just as grotesque as it had been when her soul had just shattered. The walls were stained down like grime. It made her chill down to her bones to be in that place and no matter how much or how long she roamed; she couldn't find Sasuke's soul. Another piece of the puzzle she couldn't understand. Where had his soul gone? It had not left Sakura's body so where had it gone?

She inhaled deeply and let her energy flow about and seep into whatever was left of Sakura. It had been almost a month and though she was not losing hope or sight of the mission; she was losing feeling. Who was she going to bring back? The longer she healed the more pieces she realized were missing that she couldn't possibly get back. She couldn't bring back half a person, so who was going to greet her?

Sakura was all she had and the only person that was willing to stand by her even with the little answers she had. She was obligated to fix this no matter what it cost her but she wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing anymore. It wasn't because she didn't want Sakura back or that she wanted Sakura's body. Neither of those things were true. She wanted Sakura back more than anyone else in this world possibly could but with so little to put together, would Sakura hate her for trying to fix this? She wasn't sure if she was doing this right thing now because as she put the pieces together it seemed like she'd just be bringing back a corpse that would rather be dead.

She didn't want to bring back half a person or someone tormented with nightmares. There was no way to tell what being literally shattered could have done to her. Sakura didn't deserve to go through any of this. She never asked for any of this and it was unfair the ghastly hand of cards she had been given to deal.

Kimurimochi rolled on the floor before curling into the fetal position. She was not only hungry but fairly exhausted. She let herself drift into the blackness that was sleep. She never dreamed. There wasn't anything to dream about anymore.

_She was in the same room where she had last seen Sakura. The walls were grotesque and unsightly. She looked around. She hadn't been in this place so wholly since Sakura had been gone. She roamed about and tried to find Sasuke's soul but she never could. She looked around the room and Kimurimochi's heart seemed to gush blood. _

"_SAKURA!" She screeched, dashing over to the corner where her body was huddled. _

_Sakura's back was to her facing the corner deeply huddled into the wall. Her knees were drawn to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around her frail body with her head down. The dead pink hair swept the floor in its length, covering Sakura like a blanket. She didn't even move at the sound of Kimurimochis voice. _

_Kimurimochi fell to her knees behind her, wrapping her arms around her. She couldn't believe this. Her body felt warm. Her body felt alive. Tears flooded Kimurimochi's vision. Finally. She was awake! She was awake!_

_Her sobs seemed to bounce of all the walls. "Sakura!" she shouted shaking her shoulders. "It's me!"_

_Sakura's body rose as she took a deep and steady breath. She still didn't lift her head. "__What are you doing to me?__" A voice Kimurimochi had never heard in her entire life demanded, alien and so bland and void Kimurimochi pulled away. _

_She wasn't sure how to feel about this. She wasn't sure this was even happening right now. This couldn't be real. Sakura couldn't really be here but…Kimurimochi was looking right at her. The relief that flooded her made her entire body shudder. She'd been doing it right all along and it was working. She'd fixed just enough of her soul to get her consciously here. It was working. _

_Her arms wrapped around Sakura's body as she cried with relief. What would she have done if this didn't work? What would she have done if this didn't work and she never got Sakura back? it was something she never thought about and now it didn't even matter. It didn't matter what kind of Sakura came back or if she was better or worse. It didn't matter who met them at the end of this gate. All that mattered was saving her. all that mattered was getting her back. _

"_Why are you doing this…to me?__" she asked again, unfeeling and unmoving. _

"_You're really here…" She breathed looking around the room stunned. "You're really here." She whispered. _

"_WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?__" She screamed at the top of her lungs, the voice a high shrill like broken glass as she sat up. _

_Kimurimochi let go to stare at the pink hair in her vision. "I'm fixing this. Sakura I'm fixing this…I'm fixing you. Don't you remember?" she stuttered. _

_Sakura stood then for her to get a good look at her and at first Kimurimochi wasn't sure what she was looking at. She had lost sight of Sakrua. Kimurimochi saw her face…saw what she really was then. No skin covered the bones of the front of her body. Bones covered with red muscles and tendons ribs out and bear to the elements.__She had no eyes but blood seeped through the sockets. Sakura's hands shook rubbed and stripped raw. _

_Skin covered half of her body, the back and that half alone. Kimurimochi's hand flew to her mouth at the sight of her. Her throat seemed to be this fragile ivory thing, open and inflamed. Her mouth opened and an animalistic fearful blood gutting cry came from it, her arms held wide. Kimurimochi skidded across the floor, Sakura's face a red skull, bear of skin and blood and tissue. She was wide open, her hip bones pointy and sharp with her frail and sunken in her body was. _

_Sakura screamed and turned away into the corner, her palms pressed against it as if she was repulsed and disgusted with the way she looked . This silence followed as Kimurimochi stared at the living skeleton she had created. She couldn't think or move with how shocked her body was, pain gripping her like a wrench. What was happening? _

_Sakura kept shaking her head. Her hair had grown so much, swaying like the ocean behind her in ripples. Kimurimochi could hear her sobs and wails so loudly. She had never heard the wail of the dead until then. It pierced right through her skin, down through her flesh and through the marrow of everything that made her who she was. Sakura's cry tore her heart strings right out through her chest so fiercely she literally tasted her own blood on her tongue. _

"_Sakura…" Her voice trailed off the words stuck like a cord around her neck, snug in her throat unable to come out. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? _

_Kimuirmochi pushed herself to her feet and the entire room shook as if Sakura's pain and sobs were lacing inside the walls. They probably were, so many pieces and shards of her soul were still splattered and hardened against them. She was not whole yet. She was not all of herself yet. So many pieces were missing, so many things that made her who she was still wasn't there yet. Pain. Kimurimochi had only put together all the pain. So may souls in this little body. How it was not all gone and disintegrated she still didn't know. _

"_Make it stop…__" She begged, the voice so childlike and foreign. "__Please…stop doing this….stop doing this to me…__"_

_Kimurimochi felt her heart breaking. "Sakura…I'm trying to fix this. I'm trying to bring you back…I'm fixing you." She whispered walking closer. _

_The closer she came it seemed the more Sakura sank into the corner with her back turned. Sakura's frail body trembled, her soul still in shambles. All she was made of now was all the hurt. So many things were lost. She stood behind Sakura for the longest time before taking her hand gently. Kimurimochi's hand glowed with her power as she held Sakura's hand. _

_Sakura turned to look at her but there were no eyes. All Kimurimochi saw was this dark abyss of pain and blackness. She could see the torment. How? She wasn't sure but she could see it as clear as day the pain in the skeleton, inside the sockets of her face that had no eyes, Kimurimochi saw it all. _

"_It hurts.__" Her voice echoed. "__Everything hurts.__"_

"_I'm taking the pain away." Kimurimochi said softly holding onto her hands, her power wrapping around Sakura's bones and fingers, "See? I'm taking it away. I'm bringing you back."_

"_Please don't.__" she begged. Who was this girl? Kimurimochi could hardly recognize her. "__I don't want to come back from this. Just let me go…let me go I don't want to do this again.__"_

"_This is working Sakura. I can do this for you. I can take all this ugliness away; I can bring you some place new, I can make everything okay." She whispered, her hand gently touching the skull that made her face. "I will make this all okay again, I will make it better."_

"_Just let me go…__" she wailed desperately. "__Stop doing this. Please…please stop…__"_

_How could she tell her no? How could she force Sakura to do something she didn't want to do? This wasn't fair. "I know all this hurt it clouding your judgment Sakura and I know you don't think you can bear it but you can. Let me fix this and if when it's all said and done you don't want to come back you don't have to." She promised. "Just let me try. Let me fix you." She begged tears streaming down her face. _

_Sakura ripped her arms away and all the flesh and muscle seemed to burn away from her body. "__YOU CAN'T FIX ME!__" She gripped her head and fell to the floor screaming. "__YOU CAN'T FIX ME!__" _

_Kimurimochi grabbed her, bones and all. "I can! I'm not leaving you until I do!" she shouted, pulling Sakura to__her. Her cries were so painful and heart wrenching. "I won't you leave you."_

_Sakura gripped her. "__Don't make me go back__…" she begged, the sobs taking her tenfold. "Please don't make me go back." _

_Kimurimochi held on to her. "I won't make you." She promised. "I will never force you to go back if you don't want to. Sakura please, please let me take the hurt away. Let me help you." She begged desperately. _

"_We are not alone in here__." Sakura sobbed. _

_Kimurimochi froze. "What do you mean?" she breathed out. _

_The Skelton pulled back and the empty eyes looked back at her. She shook her head but said nothing. The blood dripped from the sockets and Kimurimochi didn't know what to do. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was going to fix this even if it killed her. _

"_Let me do this." She said as kindly as she could to the one thing in this world that she loved. "let me do this."_

_She nodded her head almost reluctantly. Kimurimochi laid her down on the ground and knelt down beside her. she extended her arms over this skinless being and she worked. Power flooded her, trough her veins and cells and engulfed Sakrua's body. The energy covered the walls and the floor, it climbed up the ceiling and wrapped around Sakrua like a blanket. _

_Kimurimochi did all the she could think of pulling the pieces of Sakura's soul and putting them together in the slow agonizing process. She sat there for hours that turned into days. Flesh and muscle began to cling to the bones, soul clashing together and becoming more whole than before. _

_Then something very strange happened…There was noise. There was noise and a lot of it. It was ear piercing, the highest note anything could possibly be, sharp and pointed, loud and high making her ears bleed. The entire room starting shaking like something was rising from its slumber. It broke her focus and she grabbed her head, screaming as the sound over powered her. A million nails being scratched against chalkboard at all sorts of frequencies, the room trembling and vibrating vigorously. _

_It seemed to be ripping through her brain and tearing at her skull even her nose started to bleed. Her mouth opened to speak but no sounds but her shrills came out. Her heart raced in her chest, adrenaline killing her as her body slammed into the opposite wall from all the monstrous shaking. It was like waking a beast that been in slumber, waking that which lived in the sky. _

"_We are not alone." Sakura repeated. "She has always been with us. She is coming." _

_Kimurimochi blacked out. _

_~O~_

"Hey," the voice was gentle, a hand touching her face.

Everything was clumpy and wet. Her face felt like something was caked all over it as if she even moved her jaw her skin would crack. Her hair stuck to the back of her neck and this metallic scent came rushing into her nostrils. It was all soggy and cold…it was so cold.

She groaned, unable to open her eyes but her hands –weak- slapped the arm away from her face. She rolled on her side and bile rose in her throat. She was trembling from head to toe and the world spun around her. He grabbed her shoulders but she didn't have the strength to push him away from her again.

"Breathe Kim," he instructed gently, "breathe."

_Kim… _she thought in the haze of her mind behind all the fog and motions. No one had ever called her Kim before. Nobody had ever given her any of kind of nickname and if they had, it was too long ago she couldn't remember. She couldn't even remember what her parents looked like; they too were just a dream. No one ever called her that…

She took a deep breath through her nose and it felt like she had inhaled hell fire. She groaned and the moment she opened her eyes, they rolled over in her head. She couldn't even keep them open; her muscles burnt more than ever had before. She lay down on the floor, heaving as nausea wrecked her from side to side.

She could feel him hovering over her, eyes peering down at her. "Can you hear me?"

She twitched her fingers, her body in pain and stiffened. She could hear him but she didn't even have the strength to open her mouth and answer him like she had some sense to her. She felt extraordinarily dizzy as if the floor she was lying on was spinning in circles and looping in and around itself.

"Alright. Come on." He said placing his hands under her and picking her up from the floor.

She wanted to move. She didn't want him touching her or taking care of her like she was weak. She was not weak. She could take care of herself but she couldn't even breathe properly. She felt almost crippled as bile rose in her throat. Where was he taking her? She heard a door creak open and she weakly placed a hand on his chest.

"Trust me, I'm not excited to do this either." He said placing her down on top of the toilet. He grabbed her face and shook her head a little. "I'm going to need you to at least look at me right now. Come on," he urged.

She swayed at little, the world spinning around her. Her eyes opened a little and he cracked a smile. He had the most amazing smile she had ever seen on anyone. His smile was so broad and bright, holding so much life in there. Her hand fell on top of his. She knew what he was going to do but she couldn't stop him as badly as she wanted to.

"Good girl." He praised. "You're covered from head to toe in blood okay? It's drying on you and you can't stay like this so I'm going to get you cleaned up. If Sakura can trust me then you can trust me too so don't fight me. You'll be okay."

She nodded weakly as her eyes rolled over in her head and her grip slackened. She was going to vomit, her empty stomach was churning. Bile rose in her throat but he was already holding her hair as she leaned over to the trash can. She gagged and heaved with the twisting and convulsing pain in her stomach. She was trembling from head to toe, shaking fingers barely hanging on to him for support. How had this happened? What was happening to her? Why was she this weak and where had all her power gone to? No matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember.

By the time she was done she was ready to black out but Naruto wouldn't let her. He knelt down in front of her and held her face, head down and spoke to her the entire time. He helped her get her breathing under control and got her heart to stop racing. He didn't let her go until he was absolutely sure that she wasn't going to black out.

Then he started stripping her. He pulled her blouse over her head and pulled off her silk pajama pants and her underwear. There was this silence for a while and her eyes were closed as she focused on breathing so she couldn't tell for certain what he was doing. Was he staring at her naked body? Was he ogling at her? She felt her nakedness and the embarrassment that washed over her.

He lifted her and then she was in warm water. She leaned her head back and sighed. The water was so calming and warm, heating up her freezing body. And then he bathed her. She couldn't believe it as she sat there but he did and all the while he hummed, taking the shame right from her. He even washed the blood from her hair.

"Like uh…" he laughed sheepishly then, "It's all wet now, I uh…I don't know what to with it." He said holding her hair.

A ghost of a smile came across her lips. Her hand felt as if it weight more than a ton and it ached and hurt just to lift it and put it behind her head. She spun her fingers around a few times to demonstrate before her hands fell.

"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked dumbfounded and even though it hurt more than anything, she couldn't stop the laugh. "I'll just leave it. I think I got all the blood out but I'm not sure." He said pulling the stopper from out the tub so the water could drain. He turned on the pipe washed her off one last time before pulling her out of the tub.

Her wet body pressed against his toned chest and she could feel her body soaking through his shirt. Her eyes fluttered open and he was staring down at her. What could she even say? He smiled at her then, the reassuring kind and her eyes closed again. There had always been something different about him. From the moment she and Sakura came to this town she could always tell. There was something about him. She had always liked him the most. Liked…? No. Like.

He wasn't exactly sure how to dress her and put her in a big shirt and underwear. His hands were warm, like a heater as it brushed against her arms, shoulders and knees as he dressed her. She couldn't really help herself, she had no strength.

She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Keep your elbows on your knees, keep your head down and breathe. Open your eyes and try to focus. Don't vomit. Your stomach already empty." He said his voice steady like a pillar of strength.

When she had been in Sakura's head, she had never known him to be so serous. He was always the light hearted one with eyes like the ocean and hair like the sun. He was not as much the same as he used to be. Situations had made him shed that part of him to be serious because things had gotten serious.

Her head was pulsating as if her brain was about to collapse in on itself. He handed her a cup of blood. Her hands were trembling as she took the cup and downed it all in one go, gasping by the time she was done. Her stomach was so empty she felt the blood land in there and begin to full her up. The flavor sprang all over her mouth and her head pounded even harder.

"Naruto," she said breathless, holding the empty shaking cup in her hand.

He came into her view then and knelt down. He shook his head. "You're going to lie down and you're going to sleep." He said seriously. "I'll be back in less than an hour. I need to get you something to eat."

She grasped his hand. Kimurimochi felt as if she was going to die. She felt as if she lay down and closed her eyes, she wasn't going to wake up again. There was not an ounce of strength left in her body. She couldn't go before she brought Sakura back. She didn't know how this happened or why but she felt like inside of her had just broken.

He held on to her hand. "I'll be back soon."

She shook her head, the pain making her almost delirious. He didn't understand what was happening and she didn't have the strength to talk to let him know. He pried her hand off him and tucked her into bed. She watched him jump through the window without the slightest sound. What the hell had happened to her?

Her eyes closed her eyes but she couldn't sleep. They hurt. Everywhere hurt. All her muscles and tendons and limbs and even her eyes and nose were in pain. Her teeth lining both sides of her jaw ached all the way up to her temples and she felt like she was just going to fold in and on herself. No matter how hard she tried to figure out what had happened she couldn't. She just laid there in that time of limbo. Awake and still asleep, hearing but deaf and alive but somewhere till dead.

She heard him when he came back and she heard something hard hit the ground. His fingers touched her hand and she forced herself to groan to let him know she wasn't dead. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a sitting position. Her eyes opened when she saw another cup of blood. She took it from him silently and without qualms drank the entire cup without missing a beat. She felt the blood rush to all parts of her body like it was reviving dead cell and quenching the thirst of the dehydrated, the feeling was almost euphoric. She felt her body becoming more like before…becoming alive.

"What-" she cleared her throat. "What happened?" she asked him still dazed.

Naruto's eyes were so genuinely blue. She couldn't remember anything that happened or what she had been doing before he got here and found her on the floor. He pulled over a cooler and shrugged his broad and muscled shoulders as he flipped it open.

"I don't know." He replied honestly. "I came here and you were on the floor, bleeding from your mouth, nose, eyes and ears just about everywhere really. Your mouth was open but you weren't screaming and it looked like the veins in your temple were just about ready to bust right open with all the pressure in your head. You were bloated like a ripe ass tomato." He said.

She smiled slightly. "I feel like shit." She said holding her head that was insanely hot.

"You don't say." He grunted pulling out a hand. He wrinkled his nose and handed it to her. "It's obvious you need to eat so please do." He said.

She nodded taking it from him. "Thank you." She forced herself to say.

She still couldn't understand whatever had happened to make that happen to her. Had she been attacked? It seemed almost impossible. She was too aware of her surroundings all the time and too powerful not to at least be able to fight back a little.

They sat there in silence then as she ate. She ate both hands, crunched on a spine and the thighs. She ate both lungs as well and the kidney. By the time she was feeling a million times better than before and not even remotely as weak as before.

He didn't speak as she ate; as a matter of fact he didn't make any kind of noise she couldn't even hear him breathing. She could feel it inside of her as he sat there cross legged staring blankly at her. A part of her heart sank the longer she stared at him. She paused before looking away for moment. It wasn't her place to feel these things nor was it her place to even get concerned about whatever went on in his life. It was obvious though that something was bothering him and the longer he sat there, the more it bothered her.

They had gotten a little personal over time which was why she almost classified him as her friend. He told her all about Hinata even though most of it she already knew from being in Sakura's head. She knew all the things Sakura did, if not more. She would ask about those sorts of things but his feelings specifically, she noticed that he never really spoke about that with her.

She couldn't blame him because she didn't either. Kimurimochi didn't feel much. She hadn't lived in a very long time, she had nobody to make her feel hate and hurt and pain and loss expect Sakrua. She felt regret and loneliness but those kinds of things, they had never really dived into much.

"What's wrong?" she dared herself to ask him then.

She was a boisterous, loud mouthed confident creature but suddenly she didn't know what to say. Somewhere inside of her felt nervous and like it really wasn't her place to ask certain things. Usually he was perfectly fine when he was around her. Serious sure but he didn't look the way he did now, as if part of him was dead and lost somewhere. It prickled her neck.

"What?" he asked then almost exasperated.

She looked at him then. She tried to catch her breath with the weakness still in her. She glanced at the cooler contain the remains of a dead man. He had said he wouldn't ever do such a task for her ever again but he had. Why had he done this again for her if he hated doing it so much in the first place? She had never asked him to and she was grateful that he did but what other reason could he have?

Kimurimochi sighed. "What's wrong with you Naruto?" She demanded staring at him firmly.

He pinched the bridge of nose. "I'm just worried that's all." He said staring blindly at the wall lost in his thought. "I do that a lot whether I show it or not." He said.

"Worried about what?"

"I'm worried about you." He admitted without shame.

His eye slid over to her then in the most erotic way possible, hooded almost and so breathtakingly blue. She did the stupidest thing she could have ever possibly done in the history of anything she had ever done; she blushed. Suddenly she completely confused. Her brows furred at she stared at him unable to understand what he was really trying to say.

"What do you mean?" she said, her voice small against her will. "I can take care of myself." She said strongly.

He nodded. "I'm aware of that." he said. "I don't see your point though since something absolutely horrific could have happened to you had I not shown up. That's not even what I meant."

She leaned over and pulled out another bag which had the heart. This conversation seemed like it could escalate very quickly and she needed something to distract her and keep her occupied. Worried about her? The only person that ever worried about was Sakura. Kimurimochi didn't even really know what having any one really worry about her felt like. She was always with Sakura and she was all she had so there was no one to every worry where she was or if she was okay. She didn't have anyone.

"What do you mean then?"

"You're going to need a body." He said matter-of-factly. "We've been keeping your trail hidden but without a body, you would be a target as soon as you leave Sakura's body."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up and stop worrying about trivial matters." She muttered. "I thought we've established that what happens to me afterwards isn't even my own concern, it really doesn't matter. I can handle myself." She bit harshly into the heart.

He looked at her then and smiled widely, lighting up the entire room. "Is that sass I'm getting? Because that's no way to talk to me after I just Black Doliah'd some poor man for your sick obsession."

Kimurimochi laughed and waved her hands about. "I never asked you to." She objected. "And that is sass, I never asked for your help, I'm sure you've other things to do. Speaking of which, how goes it?" she inquired.

He pushed himself to his feet. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said.

She glared. "Don't fuck with me."

"Are you going to ask me that every damn time I show up or something?" he retaliated teasingly. "Nothing goes it. We don't talk. We don't hang out. I mean, like, I'd appreciate it if you'd let this go. I'd assumed that you wouldn't know anything but apparently you're more into Sakura's mind that she is."

She leaned back in the chair. Her eyes softened. "You're a good man Naruto." She said then. "You are but you're reckless in choosing who to love. Stop making these bad decisions. You've lived too long not to know better." She warned.

"I don't need your advice on my now nonexistent love life thank you very much." He informed her casually. "Don't pretend like you want to risk bringing danger here either. I know you've been thinking about it."

She sighed then. What difference did it make? Kimurimochi didn't know what she was going to do and that was just it. It wasn't as if she could get a skin for her Kavazwalian body like that. It didn't work that way. Possessing a body was completely different from having one of her own. Every Kavazwalian born was also born with their own, original human cloak. They all got one that belonged to them and no one else. She could possess people but it wasn't the same as having her own.

These vessels, they would age even though she would not. They would die and she would have to always be in search of a new one. Not all humans could carry a Kavazwalian inside of them either. Sakura was a lucky one because they had never been compatible in the first place. She had been a special case.

"Does it matter?" she asked then sighing heavily. "Why you even worry about me?"

He laughed. "Is that a serious question? How can I not worry about you?" he countered staring at her. "it's not like I want to spend the rest of my life with you or I'm in love with you or some crazy thing like that. You're fucking important in everything that's going to happen and that corners Sakura. You're my concern too, if I look out for her I have to look out for you. That's just how shit goes."

He closed the lid of the cooler and pushed it away into the corner. He ran his fingers through his hair and Kimurimochi watched him stare at Sakura's art. His fingers moved along the wall and her drawings and paintings. She had done so much. The madness had taken Sakura over almost completely it was still unbelievab-

Kimurimochi jumped up with a start. "Sakura!" she shouted alarmed, her eyes wide with her hand flying to her mouth.

Naruto whipped around to stare at her wide eyed. "What?"

"Sakura!" Kimurimochi shouted. "That's what I was doing Naruto! I was talking to Sakura!"

_Sakura can you hear me!? Sakura?!_

The voice was faint like a summer breeze but unmistakably more human and more like Sakura than it had been previously.

_Hello? _

_Sakura it's me!_

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked quickly, confusion washing over his face. "You've brought her back?"

_Kimurimoci…it's nice to finally meet you._

The tears sent Kimurimochi to her knees at the sound of her voice. She buried her face in her hands and wailed. Finally. Finally Sakura was here.

_**And there you have it! Another chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I also you all had a wonderful Christmas or whatever it is that you celebrate! I hope your holidays have been more than you can imagine and if not, don't worry things can always get better!**_

_**Endless Love**_

_**D.V **_


	63. Chapter 63

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! Yes yes! I know it's been what, three weeks since the last update? I'm not sure but either way, guys I'm so sorry! I know, I was doing so well right? It's just I've had a lot going on and the story is winding down so I want to make sure that these remaining chapters are really good but I've been having writers block. This update isn't anything big but I hope it's enough to sedate you guys for a little while! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Three]**

Kimurimochi begged Naruto not to say anything to anyone that Sakura had awoken again. There was still so much to do and she knew that if Sasuke heard he would not wait. He was an impatient man and she couldn't risk anything. This wasn't something that could be rushed or approached with ignorance and right now, she was the best person to do this. She needed more time. He didn't want to agree and they had screamed about it and what to do for hours after he had finished freaking out in disbelief.

There had been tears in his eyes both at hearing she was alive and at hearing that Sakura did not remember him. Sakura didn't remember a lot of people and a lot of things. Everything was in bits and pieces. The only thing she remembered for sure was that Kimurimochi was not the enemy and that she was in love with someone but she couldn't even remember who she was in love _with. _There was still so much to be done, she was still not yet whole and with so many fragments and pieces that could never be returned, Kimurimochi wasn't sure how she was going to fix everything and get Sakura in top shape.

While Sakura was no longer dead with enough of her to make her back into someone, she was quiet most of the times. She was weak and mostly lay dormant and asleep while Kimurimochi worked on her. When she was awake, it was obvious that she wasn't the same. It wasn't easy to put her finger on it but she was different in her core.

"Naruto!" Kimurimochi hissed and he paused, glancing at her and flipping the pen between his fingers. He'd been knocking the pen against the desk for the last ten minutes with insane accuracy nonstop.

He sighed and flicked the pen away. He ran his fingers through his hair shocking hair. "Yeah sorry." He muttered under his breath pushing himself to his feet and heading to the door.

"Where are you going?" she demanded stricken.

They both had been on edge lately given all that had happened. Kimurimochi couldn't help it, she knew she was being such a bitch to him these days. The slightest thing got them both off and ready to cut off each other's heads. She was stressed because there was so much riding on her now to really get this done and fix it. She'd been in the room for days, hadn't even seen outside since Sakura returned. Naruto had more than enough on his plate now because while he was here, he still had to get his normal job and reports in. they just weren't in their best shape, that she knew.

He didn't even look at her as he opened the door. "Out."

"No!" she shouted a little too aggressively before sighing and dragging her hands over her face. They'd been like this for the past three days. "Stay. It's already night, it doesn't make much sense to go now."

She watched the muscles in his arm holding the doorknob tense. She didn't want him to leave, she did need his help sometimes and his company from stopping her from losing every inch of her mind. Believe it or not, this was so hard for her too.

"I really don't want to at the moment and I'm driving you up the wall as it is." He said shaking his head. "It's best I go for a couple hours."

She snorted. "What? You don't like me and my company anymore?" she asked sarcastically.

He glanced at her and his eyes weren't laughing. "Right now not particularly." He said deadpanned. "I'll bring food." He muttered closing the door behind him silently.

His words stung her more than she had expected it to and she rolled her eyes before falling back on the floor. She was making him do things he didn't really want to do and she knew that. She wasn't black mailing him. She had more likely been just begging him over and over again to have some patience and to trust her. She had shaken his faith in her upon Sakura's return.

He was still uncertain if he was doing the right thing by not telling Sasuke and he was still uncertain if she was still going to hold up her end of the bargain and give Sakura back her body. He didn't like lying and deceiving his friends and even though Kimurimochi had made a good point on why Sasuke shouldn't know, he still had the doubt. She had told him the truth –that Sakura did not remember who he was- and it had carved a pain so sharp on his heart she had seen it happen with her very own eyes and it had hurt her to see him hurt.

_Sakura? _She called out in her head softly. She was so relieved to have her back it was unreal. To know that she would reply still brought tears to gather in her eyes.

_Yes? _Her voice was a little faint and delicate but sounded more like Sakura than it had when she first came out.

_You said that we weren't alone in here._ Kimruimochi started carefully. One of her greatest fears was triggering something terrible inside of Sakura's head and bringing back all her memories too quickly. _What did you mean by that?_

Sakura sighed almost and thought for a moment. She shook her head and shrugged. _I don't remember I just know that we're not. I'm absolutely positive that we aren't, I just don't know why and I don't know who. All I know is that it started waking when you brought me back and was inside with me… inside of us._

_But remember that Sasuke's soul is inside of you too…somewhere. I don't know where it went but he's still supposed to be there. _

_Would I not be able to remember this soul that is also inside of me the same way that I remember you? _She asked then. _He does not sound familiar to me or like the soul I know is here. Perhaps it is my lack of memory but it is not this Sasuke man…should I not be able to remember then if it was him?_

Why were these things the ones that she didn't remember? How couldn't she remember Sasuke? How could she not remember his face or his voice? Kimurimochi couldn't understand why these were the things she couldn't remember. Sakura couldn't remember her father either, not even the color of his hair or the work he had done. She couldn't remember who Tami was nor could she remember anything about Atona except the way the way she looked. Was it that these were the most painful parts of her soul that were too scarred and splintered to be returned?

_Are you ready to fix my chest? _Sakura asked curiously. _That will be the last of it right?_

Kimurimochi nodded. _Yes that would be the last of it. I don't think there is anything else that I can do…I'm sorry that I can't do more. I don't want to rob you of anything…_

_Are you sure you do not want to keep this body? My body suits you just fine. _Sakura said earnestly.

_No. this body is yours and you will have it back. _she said firmly.

Kimurimochi was not going to keep that which was not hers to keep. She did this and she was fixing this then she would give Sakura back that which belonged to her. this was not her body and she could never take it and defile it even more than she already had like it was her own. It just wasn't right and she wasn't going to do it anymore. Sakura could do whatever she wanted once she had it back.

_What will happen once you put the remaining pieces together? _She asked after a moment of silence. _What do we do then once I am fixed?_

Kimurimochi knotted her fingers. _I'm not entirely sure what will happen after that. Anything can happen once you're completely fixed we don't know…nothing is for certain and I know that's not really comforting. _

_Well then…let's do this and find out. _Sakura said then not the least bit afraid of whatever they could face after this.

Once they were done it would be time go to Sasuke and get his help. She hated the bastard more than anything but her love for Sakura over powered that hate. She would do anything to save Sakura and if that meant being in Sasuke's presence and getting his help then by God that was what she was going to do.

Even now she couldn't understand what had happened those days ago when she was inside that part of Sakura that held the shattered pieces of her soul. She still couldn't understand that high pitched screeching noise that seemed to have destroyed her ear drums. It had felt like an earthquake like something powerful was rising and waking up. What was going on? She still wasn't sure and it made her very nervous. What would happen when the last pieces that didn't splinter and dissolve of Sakura's soul get put together? Kimurimochi didn't understand and there was the fear of the unknown. This had to work.

Kimurimochi cracked her neck and took a deep breath. It was hard these days to reenter inside of this vessel. _She closed her eyes and focused like she usually did and once again, she was inside that room. Sakura's soul was sitting down cross legged waiting. She smiled. Sakura seemed so different now that her memories were gone and she couldn't remember so much of the pain. _

_Sakura lay down silently and Kimurimochi knelt down and looked at her chest. She was so nervous because she knew that she couldn't ruin this or mess this up. Her hands –shaking only slightly- hovered over Sakura's still open chest. One more step. She couldn't believe she had gotten this far. There had been a time where she didn't think that this would work and she didn't think Sakura would ever come back to her but here she was._

_The glow this time was green and gentle. She had to be very careful when fixing this part. She didn't know if this would bring back all of Sakura's memories and if it would, she couldn't have them coming back all at once. She was skinny, even as a mere soul Kimurimochi could tell. Sakura's breasts seem but two pecks on her chest; there was a time when they had been more than a palm full. Her body relaxed as she got lost again in the cause and in the healing. _

_There was no telling what was going to happen to them now when this was done. The last Kimurimochi was at her full strength like this in a new born, Sakura had gone through hell. There was no telling what three strong live souls inside one living vessel would cause. Once Sakura was healed she had to get to Sasuke immediately. _

_She could feel Sakura coming together beneath her palm. She could feel Sakura becoming whole with each passing minute. The closer she got the more nervous Kimurimochi became. _

"_You are trembling my friend.__" Sakura noted softly. "__Are you worried?__" _

"_it's that obvious huh?" she whispered sighing. "Yes I am worried. I'd be a fool not to be. I doubt what we're doing here has ever been done before." She reasoned. _

"_Perhaps but what sense is it to worry about something we have no knowledge or control over? You can always stop if you are afraid.__" She said gently. _

_Kimurimochi looked down to watch the last split in Sakura's chest close. Sakura looked back up at her before her had touched her now healed chest. Sakura looked at Kimurimochi with wide luminescent green eyes before she laughed with relief. Stunned she stared at her healed arms and down the length of her now healed and naked body- flawless. She looked up at Kimurimochi with tears in her eyes. _

"_I have no scars…__" She whispered in disbelief. "__I have no scars on me.__"_

_Kimurimochi wiped her eyes and nodded. "No you don't. Not anymore. I got rid of all of them. It's the least I could do for all the things I couldn't fix and put back together again." _

"_What is going to happen now?__" she asked uncertainly, as if she was waiting for something. _

_Kimurimochi sighed. "It's time to go and see Sasuke." She said then looking around. She felt like she was waiting for something to happen as well. _

_Kimurimochi pushed herself to her feet and was about to leave when the noise started. It was screeching and ear piercing demanding to be heard and felt; undeniably loud. The entire room began to shake and tremble like the last time. The sound seemed to come from deep within the room, as if from beneath the floors in a heated place. Rising and flaring, sending Kimurimochi flying one way and Sakura the other._

_She had expected this but it still surprised her and confused her. Her body slammed against the wall and she thought her ears were about to shatter. _

"_Sakura!" Kimruimochi screamed at the top of her lungs, the wind being kicked right out of her. What was happening? How was this happening?! She didn't understand! _

"_You have to go!__" Sakura shouted. _

_But Kimurimochi didn't even know how to. She felt so disoriented all of a sudden and so weak with the pressure in the room so high that she couldn't really focus. There was no way anything human and otherwise could make a sound like this. There was no way in hell Sasuke's soul could be doing this. That was impossible and she knew that. She could tell the moment her ears started bleeding, the sound only increasing to impossible octaves as if it wanted to strip the very flesh from their bones and peal the paint from the walls. _

_She had to get out of here. She had to get to Sasuke and she had to get there now. She coughed, palms pressed down on the floor. Blood splattered from her mouth and dripped from her nose, she felt like her brain was about to explode. She looked at Sakura, holding her head in the corner. Kimurimochi was so confused. What was happening? Sakura nodded. _

_Kimurimochi felt like it took everything inside of her to push herself out of that room and be conscious in Sakura's body again. _

Everything was pulsating once her eyes opened. Her head felt like it was about to collapse in on itself and she couldn't hear a thing. She pushed herself up on her elbows and felt the blood gush from her nose. She had no idea where Naruto went or when he would be back and she couldn't wait on him. Something was happening and she didn't know what it was. She couldn't stay like this. She coughed and her eyes rolled over.

She flipped her hair from her face and staggered to her feet. She could hardly breathe but she grabbed her jacked and slipped through her room window. She didn't even put on shoes. She had memorized where Sasuke lived the same way Sakura had. She was half out of her mind trudging through the town with the hood of her jacket covering her face. All she could do was breathed heavily and stagger. Soon enough blood was draining from her ears as well. What was that just now? What was going on?

Half way there the ringing sound started again. It was inhumane and unlike anything she had ever heard. It almost sounded like a cry- a desperate, vicious screaming cry to be heard. She held her head, knees caving in under her as she hit the pavement. It was unbearable and soon, she was screaming. She needed it to stop but it wouldn't; it wouldn't go away.

A hand touched her, it was a man but she couldn't really see him with the blood that gushed from her eyes. She must have frightened him for he ran away. Her hand gripped the wall to her left. Kimurimochi pushed herself to feet and made the rest of the way. What other choice did she have? Something was wrong and she didn't know what it was. She couldn't help herself either. Sakura was okay now, either way it was time for Sasuke's help.

She didn't know what she expected him to do or how she expected him to do it. They had only ever corresponded through Naruto and even then, there wasn't much to go on. This was all theory and speculation. It wasn't like this was something that had ever been done before, there was no way to tell if the next step that they went on to would work or not. There was no way to tell if it was going to make things better or worse.

Kimurimochi jumped the fence and basically kicked his front door open. She was about to vomit, her hands white knuckling the door frame. The room was spinning and she saw him then, emerging from the living room. His body went stark white at the sight of her.

"Sasuke…" she breathed heavily. "You have to fix this. Something is wrong."

_**And there you have it! Another chapter! I know it's like a cliffhanger and I know its short which isn't fair since it's been such a long time since I've update but I hope you guys at least enjoyed this chapter and can't wait to read what happens next! **_

_**Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	64. Chapter 64

_**WELCOME! ANOTHER CHAPTER IS HERE! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Four]**

She was already on the floor screaming and there was blood everywhere. His body didn't even hesitate to kick into action. He grabbed her, pinning her hands above her head with force to stop her from tearing her hair out. Blood was coming from her ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Her entire body was taught as if she was about to explode. In hindsight he did not plan for this, not that any of this was something anyone could really plan for.

"Hold her down!" Sasuke ordered.

Shikamaru held her hands down and Neji pinned her legs down. Sasuke opened one of her eyes and stared for a while, only half believing what he was seeing. The color of her eyes was flickering between the neon green and pink, emerald and…was that mercury? Mercury? He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, teeth grinding. What the hell was he supposed to do now to fix this when he didn't even know what was going on? Great.

He glanced at Neji. "You have to stop this right now. Shut her down."

"She's strong it won't last long. Several hours at most." Neji said looking at Shikamaru with uncertainty. "What are we going to do?"

"Sasuke's right." Shikamaru said looking around, "her screaming it cracking the windows."

Her back arched, veins taught in her temples, red and pulsating like they were about to burst. She writhed and shrieked on the floor. The entire room started to shake, her shrill stripped down and inhumane to even Sasuke's ears.

"Don't make me say it again." Sasuke snapped. "Do it and do it now." He commanded, his voice resonating with authority.

Neji nodded quickly. "We have to do it together Sasuke, if Sakura is awake inside of her you're going to have to shut her down too." He shouted over the screaming.

Sasuke grabbed Neji's hand instantly and their hands pressed hard against her hot forehead. Her body went limp, almost suddenly dead limp. Her body that had been so red started to become pale, her head turned to one side. Sasuke stood and glanced at his watch. It was his time now to fulfill his end of the bargain. She would never come here if it wasn't his time.

"Shikamaru get Naruto, we have to get going I doubt we have much time." He said quickly. "Neji get Hinata, we're going to need her. If she wants Ino or anyone else to come, just bring them. We need to get out of here you have at most forty five minutes." He said picking up Kimurimochi off the floor.

They nodded and left silently to do as they were told. Sasuke glanced down at her and almost stumbled. He watched the colors fade until her hair was that bubblegum pink he had first seen in the night on that barren street in the rain. Sakura…his eyes softened and for a second he felt something wrap around his neck strangling him. What had become of them? It happened like hot flashes. All too quickly the aquamarine came back, her hair becoming hot pink like lava. Kimurimochi.

He shook his head and started moving. He'd gone through this plan a million times in his head but now it was time to go through with it. It was just last week Sasuke finally contacted Orochimaru. He had only told him that he had a problem that could not be brought to anyone else and soon, he would be showing up. He laid her down on his bed and walked into his closet, phone to his ear as he pulled out a duffle bag.

"Mr. Uchiha, goodnight." Susta answered his void devoid of emotions. "Are you planning to travel soon sir?"

"Yes we are." Sasuke said throwing the bag over his shoulder. "Do you think you'll be ready in the next half hour to take off?"

There was a hesitant pause. "Yes, of course Sir." He replied steadily. "Would you like to take the family jet?"

"No." Sasuke said quickly. "And we aren't taking mine either, no one must know I am leaving. You know what that means don't you?"

Another hesitant pause and a sigh. "Yes," he said then, "I do. How many people will be accompanying us on this journey?"

"Seven. Eight at most." Sasuke said grabbing his keys off the dresser. "We've spoken about this Susta." He quipped in irritation.

"Yes Sir, we have." He agreed. "Everything will be ready and waiting for you. Call if there are any sudden changes in plans that I need to prepare for." He said.

"Will do." Sasuke said stuffing the phone in his pocket.

His heart was racing. He couldn't tell when last that happened to him. His heart hadn't raced in months. Nothing made him nervous or stumble, nothing made him falter or lose his grip on things anymore. No one except her. She still had that effect on him and made him feel like he was a novice; she still made him nervous. He stopped at the foot of his bed, her body still flickering between the two souls conscious inside of her. Sasuke titled his head and stared, almost transfixed as Sakura's hair lost every single drop of its color, becoming so white it was silver.

"What the…" he trailed off, his voice lost in itself.

He leaned forwards staring into her face. What the hell could possibly cause something like that to happen? Honestly, even after so long Sasuke really didn't think he had it in him to handle any more surprises or negative throws when they were so close to fixing this. Honestly, he didn't, there was only so much of himself he could hold together. He let his fingers touch the white hair but he couldn't even feel it against his skin. He watched it shock to that hot pink again.

His phone rang. "Yeah?"

"Tenten isn't sure about this. She wants to know where we're going."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Listen, she doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to. Nobody except me and this pilot knows where we're going and if she doesn't like that then she can stay. If she's in then she's in, if she's out then she's out. That's it." He didn't want for a response before hanging up and stuffing the phone in his pocket.

He cracked his neck and sighed and took Sakura –or was it Kimurimochi?- into his arms and began making his way to the front of his house where his car was parked. They had to go and they had to go now. He didn't know how long she would stay out and he really didn't know what they would be dealing with when she awoke. He didn't have time to waste and they had already had talks about this previously, this was no time for uncertainty. He held nothing against anyone who did not want to come. This was a choice not a command. They all could stay if they wanted, Sasuke would not make them.

He placed her on the backseat of the Mercedes, dropped the duffle bag on the passenger seat and set off to the hanger where this jet was kept near the airport. He could not have anyone knowing that he was about to leave the country and he made sure of that. Sasuke didn't have jets, they weren't usually his thing –the one ensured in his name belonged to the band. If he ever needed one, he used one that belonged to the family. However, this was not, under any circumstances, a family matter.

He seemed to glance at the backseat every five seconds to make sure she was fine. He had to do this. It was his turn to sort of make this right as best as he could. That was all he could do at this point. It seemed impossible that the only thing that had not changed about him was his unending love for her. He seemed to fallen in love with her even more after she was gone from him. When he outstretched his hand and she wasn't there to take it, when he turned over on his bed and it was empty. The sheets stopped smelling like her, his t-shirts lost her touch after she stopped wearing them. His house lost every bit of homey feeling it had ever possessed once she stopped walking through his halls. God he missed her, it felt like she was gone forever and even then, he couldn't believe it.

His fingers tapped against the staring wheel. Orochimaru. This wasn't going to be fun nor was it going to be easy. He hadn't spoken to Orochimaru in years and he had dropped off the grid for so long, Sasuke had forgotten about him all together. Kurenai had told him though that if something went terribly wrong –and it would- that he needed to find Orochimaru. She had insisted that whatever impossible feat he would face with Sakura, he was the only one who would be able to truly understand and therefore help him. Sasuke would do whatever it took.

"I know…" Sasuke trailed off before sighing. Even just once he wished he could talk to Sakura, just once. He glanced behind him again at the seat. "I know…this doesn't change anything…" he shook his head, they couldn't hear him anyways.

By the time Sasuke was at the hanger his friends were already there waiting. Ino stood out the most. She was dressed in full black, something Sasuke had never seen before. She'd never been that kind of girl. She was pacing, her heeled boots clicking and clacking against the floor, her hands stuffed in her leather jacket.

Sasuke cut the engine and stepped out. Keys in hand, Sasuke froze. He stared at all of them fidgeting and pacing but Naruto was the only one who just stood there, pale faced and rigid. Sasuke groaned.

"What?" he demanded. "What is it?"

Ino whipped around, pointing a finger in Naruto's direction, fire gashing from her eyes. "He KNEW!" she screeched. "He fucking knew this entire fucking time!" she made a strangling motion with her hands.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. "What is she talking about? Naruto what did you do?" Sasuke demanded. He felt a headache coming on.

Naruto heaved in a deep breath. "Can we just get on that jet first? Everyone will have plenty of time to feel betrayed on the flight." He almost spat.

Sasuke did a double take and squinted. He could see it in Naruto's eyes and he could feel it from his entire body language. Naruto was not so much disturbed at everyone else knowing what he had done but he was bothered by Sasuke finding out. Sasuke fingered the keys and stood directly in front of Naruto, looking and searching. Naruto looked away, clearly uncomfortable about being inspected this way. Sasuke's eyes widened and he felt like he was just punched in the gut and had his liver ripped out. He almost stumbled back.

"You…" he paused, "You knew?" he asked incredulously.

Naruto nodded his head. "Yes. I knew. Yes, I never said anything. She asked me not to."

Sasuke swallowed. "She's in the car." Was all he said turning on his heels and heading over to Susta who was standing at the steps leading into the jet, hands planted in front of him patiently waiting.

"Sir," he greeted holding out his hand.

Sasuke shook it and nodded. "Are we ready?" he asked warily.

The tall and lanky man nodded. "Yes sir, we are. It's been over forty-five minutes, we should get going. This trip will take a while and I take it, you are in a hurry."

At the top of the stairs, an exact clone of Susta stood waving his hand at Sasuke. "Ready when you are Sir," he said before turning and heading back inside. Sasuke glanced at the Susta in front of him and nodded again. He was right they didn't have time.

He turned on his heels and went into the car, pulling out his duffle bag. He didn't even glance at Naruto now holding Sakura's limp body in his arms. Sasuke pointed to the jet, his jaw rigid and eyes hard. Naruto nodded silently and started to make his way inside the jet, everyone else at his heels with their bags and mini-suitcases.

No one said anything and Sasuke noticed that Tenten was not with them. In truth, he didn't expect her to be. She had many other responsibilities on her plate that she couldn't really leave behind and bringing a son on a trip like this was just a bad idea. Neji looked grim at the reality of her absence.

The jet was fairly big with everyone having their private quarters with a row of seats at the front. Inside was all carpet and cream, clean and light. Susta was the only staff and that was why Sasuke had chosen him. All he had to do in order to do all the tasks was replicate himself, something he did fairly easy.

There was total silence as everyone placed down their things and picked a spot in the plane. Sasuke watched Naruto walk into one of the cubicles almost and laid Sakura down on a bed before coming out and sitting with the others. Ino sat next to Sasuke and seemed to be fuming in her seat, her feet tapping relentlessly against the carpeted floor. No one spoke until the plane took off.

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright I'm going to assume you all are leaving it up to me then." He began. "Naruto, go on and explain yourself." He said as calmly as he could.

Sasuke instantly understood why everyone would be upset, hell he was upset too but at the same time, he trusted Naruto. He had known him too long not to trust him and his decisions. There must have been a reason, whether it was valid or invalid he was sure Naruto had his reasons for keeping this from them. He was equally sure that Naruto believed he had done the right thing, be it a mistake or not. Sasuke had been in that very same position one too many times as their leader so he had to at least try and be understanding especially in a time like this.

"Explain himself?" Ino's voice was so full of acid he saw Hinata actually flinch from her tone. "Explain what? What the fuck is there to explain except that he just kept his damn mouth shut about this and didn't think that anybody else had the right to know what was going on."

"That's not true!" Naruto shouted.

Ino didn't back down, she sprung from her seat in rage. "Yes it fucking is! None of us had a fucking right to know Sakura was back right? No we all had to find out in the middle of the night when she's half delirious and passed out on Sasuke's fucking floor and _you_ were nowhere to be found!" She screamed.

"Ino shut the fuck up because you don't know anything." Naruto spat.

She laughed mockingly. "Oh and you almighty Naruto, Savior of the damned, does? You know everything? You could have fucking told us but as usual you got caught up in your stupid fucking feelings the same stupid fucking way you always do and here we are, fucking unprepared because you didn't have the damned sense to open your fucking mouth and say something. She's my fucking friend too!" she roared.

Naruto's jaw went rigid. And he glared. "Who the fuck are you to talk to me about my feelings? Caught up in my feelings?" Naruto sneered, his teeth sharp. "Go fuck yourself. She asked me not to stay anything and I didn't fucking say anything, if you want to get mad because you sat on your materialistic blonde ass and didn't do anything to help, take it elsewhere."

"Oh where can I go Naruto? The back of the fucking jet?! Would you look where we are now," Ino glowered, "At almost two in the fucking morning I'm being flown out of the country and she's unconscious with all sorts of shit happening to her. Great call."

"Ino," Sasuke said warily, "sit back down and let him talk. I personally would like to hear his side of the story."

Shikamaru held out his hand. "Come," he whispered, "sit down and try to calm down. Here, take your shoes off."

Ino fumed but took Shikamaru's hand and sat down in his lap and started taking her shoes off. Her ears were flaming red with rage. Shikamaru seemed to have become well in tuned to Ino and how to deal with her Sasuke noticed. Naruto heaved in a deep breath.

"Listen, I just did what I thought was best alright?"

Sasuke sat up squarely and looked Naruto dead in the eyes. "If you don't explain yourself to me Naruto, I am going to be gravely offended and pissed the fuck off more than I already am. Do not attempt to pass that vague answer to me as if that's what I'm looking for. I said explain yourself and I do mean explain. Now." He wasn't in a good mood and he was trying really hard right now but he could only do so much.

He rolled his eyes. "Sakura woke up a couple days ago. She needed more time, there was still so much to be done and there had already been some complications. She asked me not to say anything to you. Didn't know how you would react."

Sasuke bit the bottom of his lips and fought the urge to break something. He felt the veins in his neck become taught. "What do you know about her and her state?" he asked.

Naruto dragged his hands down his face. "She's having memory problems. She doesn't remember me; as a matter of fact she doesn't remember most of us. She can't remember her past; Kimurimochi is the most familiar thing to her. She knows she's deeply in love with someone but she can't remember who, she remembers she had a best friend but she can't remember Ino either. Otherwise, she's pretty much in tacked as much as possible given the circumstances." He replied.

Sasuke took a deep breath and held it for a while. It was hard to swallow. He had to, under all these circumstances, remain calm. "Do you think I am a child that I would be unable to understand whatever requirements that your friend needed? Do you think that I'm that incompetent?" Sasuke asked frankly.

He looked away. "No dude that's not what I think."

"No clearly that's what _she_ thinks." Sasuke retorted. "What would I have done? Be an impulsive imbecile and rampage around with her, kidnap her? Look at me when I'm talking to you about this. Honestly what were you thinking?"

"I just thought telling you was a bad idea at the time."

"Was it now?" Sasuke asked. "Where are we now Naruto? You asked me to trust you which I did. You've just met this girl and suddenly you think I'm too idiotic for you to explain something to and detail your plans to so I can adjust accordingly? If you needed time, I would have damn well given it to you, I'm not stupid. Here we are on an emergency flight that no one is prepared for, a journey that will take us hours to a place not one of us have ever been with no arrangements made in our destination for us. Had I known, all of this would have completely been taken care of. How could I possibly plan completely without knowing everything?"

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. "I realize when you called that I had made a huge mistake in not saying anything. I honestly thought it was the best decision to make. Sasuke, I know that you're the most level headed one out of all of us and I should have trusted you with this." He glanced at Ino. "I should have told you. You all had deserved to know and it wasn't fair for me to keep this from you when it concerned all of us."

"Honestly I don't think at this point in time I should even have to say any of this to you and I shouldn't have to be sitting here right now scolding you. I don't expect you to lie to me." He shook his head sadly. "I should have noticed but for some strange reason, I never doubted what you told me one bit. Is that a fault of mine here? Should I be on guard or something?"

He looked down. "No you shouldn't be. I should have told you, I know that. I never anticipated something like this would have happened. I figured everything would have been fine."

Neji sighed heavily and Sasuke leaned back and closed his eyes. "This is an unpredictable thing Naruto, none of knew what to expect with this. We all need to be on the same page where things like this are concerned. You know that." Neji said.

Sasuke pushed himself to his feet. "It's a done deal at this point in time. You lied to us. Here we are. What else is there to do?" he said walking away from them. He needed a break.

"That's it?" Ino asked shocked.

Sasuke completely understood how she felt and he didn't blame her one damn bit. Nobody could blame Ino for how she felt about this whole thing. He knew that Ino wasn't so much upset at Naruto for what he had done but probably betrayed that he didn't trust them enough to tell them. Sasuke could see that she felt like Naruto betrayed her because too trusted him. However, what we he supposed to do? They were already headed out of the country. Everyone made mistakes. Everyone fucked up now and then. Shit happened.

"What am I supposed to do?" Sasuke asked. "Kick him out the plane? Tear his head off for lying to us? As far as I'm concerned we're all fucking liars here anyway. What difference does it really make? It's happened, nothing we can really do but just move forward and get to it. I understand that you're all mad at him and you all have a right to be. This was our concern and as Naruto has acknowledged, he should have told us as it was also our right. You're all free to feel how you do. I however, am thoroughly done with this issue for now."

He entered Sakura's quarters and lay down on the bed next to her. He couldn't tell when last he was ever really this close to her. Not even touching, just lying right beside her felt like a piece of heaven. He glanced at her unconscious body and noticed that she was no longer flickering between all those colors. Her hair was that of Kimurimochi but Sasuke still saw and felt Sakura. She was still Sakura, no matter who was in there.

He was going to the Isle of Purkine, completely uninhabited by people except for Orochimaru and those who he had with him. Sasuke was unsure who those people were or even what he did with them. It would take them a good two days to get there. Two days of constant movements –most of which would be by water-. he was not looking forward to it.

Somewhere between all his thoughts, the talking outside from the others and his planning of how to approach things Sasuke fell asleep. He wasn't sure about much of what happened next but when he awoke, a frantic hand was shaking him.

His eyes shot open and he saw a frightened viscous neon eyed girl staring down at him. His hand flew to his head. The headache had returned.

"Just…" Sasuke grabbed her hand to stop her from doing something crazy, "Don't say anything, take a deep breath and calm down. I don't want to do what we had to do before." He warned glancing at his watch.

It had been almost ten hours. He doubted he had been awake for even three since they took off. Had they stopped to refuel? He wasn't even sure. For a second he didn't even know where the fuck he was either. He pushed himself to the edge of the bed and sat up, feet flat against the floor. This just got a little awkward for him. It was no news to anyone that Kimurimochi was not his favorite person, nor was she his but they now had to work together. This did not happen under the most desired of circumstances either; he had to give it that.

Sasuke yawned. "Where the hell am I?" she demanded, clearly unsatisfied with his silence.

Sasuke was wary and tired. He was so wary he didn't even have it in him to glare at her. Instead he dragged his hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. "You don't know how to hold a proper conversation with someone Achite?" Sasuke croaked his voice still asleep in his throat.

She seemed to hesitate a moment. "Sasuke-"

"I've just been startled awake, I haven't slept in days. Pardon me if the first thing I don't want to do is have a heated conversation with you. Have some tact and give me a second." He quipped pushing himself to his feet. God he felt completely grimy and lethal.

He got the duffle bag he had brought and dumped it into the room. He also got himself a coffee and one for her. He looked around but the other cubicles were occupied and the plane was silent. Everyone was sleeping except for them. He handed her one but she just stared up at him for a long time before taking it. It wasn't spacious. There was a bed, a mat the edge of the bed and a night table with magazines on it. Not that that mattered much to him.

"Drink it." Sasuke commanded.

"Don't tell me what the fuck to do."

"Fine, then don't." he said casually. "That trick we used on you will knock you the fuck out again and suck the life out of you if you don't. Choice is yours right now." He said sitting on the edge of the bed.

They always got off on the wrong foot. It was silent for a long while as they drank their coffee but eventually, she spoke with more respect and less rudeness. "Where is Naruto?" she inquired.

"Somewhere around here. Don't worry; we wouldn't come here without your trusty other half."

She snorted. "I thought we were being polite and having conversation," she snapped.

He glanced at her and smirked at his coffee. "That's what we're calling it? To be fair I don't want to talk to you either." He said simply.

"Glad to know we hate each other the same." She murmured. She sighed heavily before lying down back on the bed after putting the cup on the night table. "So it's time eh? To get me out of here."

"Having some second thoughts or something? I hope not because that's certainly not an option." He informed her mildly.

He stared at her for a fraction of a second then. This was the first time he was this close to her and didn't want to rip her head right off. She was pretty. She was not Sakura, to him no part of that body was anymore but she reminded him so much of her and there was some kind of vivid in her hair and in her eyes. There was some sort alien new life to her. He had never even seen an Achite before; they were extent as far as anyone was concerned. None made i here during the Change or whatever. She was beautiful until her mouth opened.

"No I'm not. I think by now you know we both want the same thing and I'm not changing my mind on that so don't be a fucktard about it because that's not going to fly with me. I already hate your guts, don't forget that." she pushed herself up on the elbow to look at him before shaking her head in distaste. She fell back again with a sigh.

Sasuke played with his cup before speaking. "There are clothes in there if you want to change or shower. This is going to be a long journey. I don't particularly know what you would need personally seeing as I don't know you."

"You packed clothes for me?"

"You're welcome seeing as if I hadn't you would have none." He replied. "There is just a pair of Sakura's things in there, that's all. Emergency pre-pack and all."

"You're not as dumb as I thought you were either."

"Apparently." He said stretching his legs.

"Look Sasuke, by now I'm sure you know what's been going on. I hope you're not being too hard on Naruto for not telling you."

"Don't beg for him, it's unbecoming." Sasuke said icily. "I'm also fully aware that you think I'm one impulsive, unthinking primitive beast that couldn't be trusted."

She sat up then and closed the small swinging door to their cubicle. The door wasn't high either, just around the height of her breasts. She could see right over it if she wanted to. She turned to him and folded her arms across her chest.

"Honestly Sasuke, that's what I told Naruto. Yes. But that's not why I didn't want him to tell you. Part of it maybe but not because I think you're fucking stupid. With anything else you aren't, with Sakura you are. Do you want to know why I didn't really want to tell you?"

"No but I'm sure you're going to tell me anyways." He said dryly.

She took a deep breath. "I didn't think it was fair to you. I did not want to come to you with this only half done and that's what it was. There was still so much work on Sakura to be done, I was doing that most of the time. It didn't seem like it was fair to tell you she was alive and you had to sit around and not be able to do anything about it. I'm basically the only thing she remembers. Naruto had been so heartbroken when I told him Sakura remembers nothing about him. With all going on, I could not afford to devastate you too. I also don't like you very much and I did not want to associate with you more than I had to and we had agreed to meet when it was your turn to help and obviously it wasn't your turn yet."

His face remained a complete and utter mask. His eyes and features betrayed nothing. Sasuke could hide everything he was feeling and made it seem like he was feeling absolutely nothing. As if nothing ever affected him. He hated her, that was true and that probably wouldn't change and that was probably not her fault.

"Then tell me what happened seeing as it's my turn now."

She swallowed. "I don't know. Something is wrong but there are so many things wrong with this body and Sakura's soul that it's impossible for me to pinpoint what's not right. She said…she said someone else is in here. She said that someone else in this body with us but that could not be possible could it?"

"After all that's happened I wouldn't be surprised if you told me the whole fucking Kavazwalian community was in there." Sasuke said. "I'm willing to believe almost anything."

"I have been in here since before she was born. I would know."

"Would you?" Sasuke retorted. "You didn't know my soul was in there until Sakura came to this town and my soul woke up. You've been the only conscious soul inside of Sakura but not the only one."

She looked down at her bare feet and shifted. "Look. This has to work. I don't know how but it has to. You have to figure out what's going on in here Sasuke and you're probably going to have to get real primal, down and dirty about it."

"I'm aware of that." he noted.

She opened her mouth to say something but was silenced when the door opened. "Sasuke is everyt-" Hinata froze midsentence and her eyes widened.

Kimurimochi looked at Hinata then away, hardly even remotely interested. Sasuke cleared his throat. "Yes Hinata, what is it?" he asked politely.

She stumbled, her dark hair all around her face. Her cheeks turned pink. "I'm sorry am I interrupting something?"

"Yeah kind of."

"No." Sasuke and Kimurimochi replied in unison Sasuke glared at her. "No Hinata you aren't." he assured her as much as he could.

"I heard mumbling I just thought I'd come and see if uh if you were um okay." She stuttered. "And to ask how much longer we will be flying."

Sasuke glanced at it his watch again. "Well I'm fine, obviously I'm not speaking to myself in here. Sutsa should be able to tell you how much longer this flight will be…maybe another half hour before we land permanently. Hinata, if you could just give us a minute?"

She nodded before cutting Kimurimochi a long glance. There was hate in her eyes and some kind of…was that jealousy Sasuke saw hidden in there. Kimurimochi looked Hinata up and down with scrutiny but didn't open her mouth to say anything.

"Yeah," Hinata responded distantly, "sure." She said backing out and swinging the door back into place.

"Must everyone stare so much?" Kimurmochi demanded.

"I'm afraid we must." Sasuke responded. "Well have a seat. We have things to talk about, I'm sure you'd like to know what exactly will be happening."

"Well if we're going to have that kind of conversation," she said reluctantly, "I'm definitely going to need more coffee."

_**Well there you guys go! Another chapter done and down! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Have a great weekend guys and a FANTASTIC WEEK. Remember it's always how you look at life that makes the difference. The glass is always at least half full. **_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	65. Chapter 65

_**WELCOME! I KNOW I HAVE BEEN GONE FOR MONTHS! YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN HAVE TO TELL ME, I DO THIS TO YOU ALL THE TIME AND I BEG FORGIVENESS! I HAVE BEEN HAVING MAJOR WRITERS BLOCK AND I'VE JUST BEEN SO BUSY, I HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO WRITE LIKE I USED TO. I am super nervous about posting again and I hope these chapters are received well by you guys and that you all haven't abandoned this story! I am back at it guys I promise! PLEASE, READ AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Five]**

Kimurimochi hardly spoke and when she did, it was mostly to Naruto. They would sit in a corner on deck of the yacht together and talk. No one really tried to talk to her much anyway; they still didn't like her and weren't planning on becoming friends with her in any kind of way. Kimurimochi seemed quite okay with that as well, she wasn't looking for friends either Sasuke was sure.

As the hours of their journey passed Sasuke noticed how unlike Sakura this girl was. For one, her mouth was filthy like a sailor. Sasuke would dare to say the girl swore more than he did. She was pretty but for him, it all ended there. Her laugh was different, it was harder and lighter. She seemed almost weightless when she laughed, her body completely animated with her eyes luminescent and bright. They were like opposites. Kimurimochi was fearless, her back straight and her head high. Her confidence was through the roof and it seemed like nothing frightened her.

When he had met Sakura she was all dulcet like a water lily, soft spoken and self conscious. She hardly said what she felt and couldn't meet the eyes of people. Kimurimochi was nothing like that. She was hard and powerful, she was straight forward and it was obvious she didn't intend to please anyone. She was fierce with a backbone Sakura had always lacked. She had the passion Sakura had lacked too, he noticed as he watched her.

Her back was to him now looking into the water, her hair knotted and a mess at her tailbone. Brightly colored and full of life. He wondered what her true form looked like. Should be something impressive. He watched her crack her knuckles and hold on to the railing. He still couldn't get used to this girl in Sakura's body.

Sasuke could see the island ahead of him. They were roughly around forty five minutes away from it now. Everyone was tired. They had been travelling for so long now; they probably all just wanted to be on land again.

"How long are we going to be here?" Neji inquired. "This was a last minute thing, we have business back home."

Sasuke nodded his head. "Yes we do have things to do back home. I have no idea how long this will take, none of us do. If it comes to it, you all will have to go back if this looks like it's going to take more than a few days. The Black Blades have been given orders if they notice I've left Japan. I trust them to handle certain things while I'm absent."

"And your parents?"

Sasuke glanced at Neji for a second. "What about them?" He inquired. "I'm grown. I can leave the country if I want to. As well as you can. Neji, you know I don't expect you all to stay here if we see things might get lengthy and risky."

"We can't go back without you."

"Well you'll just have to. I'm sure you guys can hold yourselves together until I come back, whenever that is." Staring at the island they were nearing.

Neji remained silent as he stood beside him, having nothing else to say. Sasuke's mind was always convoluted these days. They were the only ones on the ocean with the water so clear and so blue he wished he had time to admire it. It was clear by the climate alone that this was some sort of tropical mystical and isolated place. This was nothing like Kanoha but also, nothing like anywhere he had ever been and he had been many places. Even as the sun begun to set the temperature didn't budge from its hue of warmth. Sasuke could feel no form of chill descending with the night like he knew it should. The place was not getting cool but at the same time, it was not getting hot.

The sun was setting and Kimurimochi came to stand on the other side of him when they were almost there. She didn't say anything and neither did Sasuke. They didn't talk unnecessarily or make much of friendly conversation. He could tolerate her and she seemed to be able to do this same just fine.

There were no docks, just the ocean and the sand to greet them. They anchored and once they were all on the sand, stared at each other. Everyone looked at Sasuke. He had memorized the map a very long time ago and they had disembarked on the ride side of the island. He titled his head to the forest in front of them.

"We're going in there?" Ino asked skeptically.

"I don't think this is going to be much fun is it?" Shikamaru asked in a tiresome voice. "I hope to God we won't be hiking, I think this time around in my state I might break my ankle."

Naruto laughed. "There better not be any wild animals in there. Are you seeing that shit?" he asked Sasuke.

It looked dense and highly humid with its greenness covering every single inch that was not sand. He could see the land going uphill; he could see the mountains covered in green, the thick and ridiculously high trees. This was no forest he'd ever been in. Even the Agape Forest hadn't had such hilly and mountainous terrain for them to track against. Everyone grabbed their backpack and slung it over their shoulders. Everyone was congregating and waiting for Ino to change her shoes to something more hike ready, when a twig broke distinctly in the direction of the forest.

Sasuke turned instantly but there was not much he could see into the Forest not because it was dark but because it was so thick and dense. Anything could be hiding in it, he couldn't seen into it more than a few inches from where he stood and that's saying something because his regular eyesight range was very impressive when it came on to these things.

Then Sasuke saw a woman walking in their direction. Everyone froze and Sasuke held his hand up to stop them from doing anything.

"What the hell?" Neji trailed off watching the woman emerge from the forest, her eyes dead set on all of them.

Anyone that lived on this island that was not Orochimaru, worked for and under him and were his belongings. There were no other inhabitants here except his and his work. Sasuke wasn't sure how but he was certain, Orochimaru knew he was here. This was his island after all.

Sasuke made his way forward to meet her half way. In the rays of the sun her appearance seemed impossible, ancient and almost too beautiful.

She seemed primitive as she stood there as if it was the first time in her entire life she was seeing another human being beside herself. She blinked her skin glorious and shine in its dark caramel state. Her bright hazel eyes were catlike, long coarse black hair descending down her shoulders into her back. Her body was tall and slim and extremely feminine; curious little thing. Her jaws were well defined, her nose straight with a long lost exoticness. She reminded him of Natives long ago during the time of the Mayans. When she spoke, Sasuke did not expect such a bionic and competent voice.

"You did not say when you would be arriving. I apologize for keeping you all waiting." She said formally, the thick coarse leather that made a skirt and a bra deluding them all at her intelligence. "This is then an emergency for you?" she inquired.

Sasuke nodded. "Yes it is."

She nodded. "He is expecting you." Then she broke out into a luminous smile that blossomed with her excitement. "We all were. Come." She said turning. She was barefoot with seashell bracelets around ankles.

Sasuke beckoned everyone to follow her. "She doesn't have any weapons," Naruto muttered, "We could have been murders."

"I do not need weapons to defend myself against all that is evil and vile." She replied hearing Naruto in his quiet tone.

They followed her into the forest, dense, high raised, humid and Sasuke couldn't deny how gorgeous inside of it was. The branches, ferns and leaves blocking her way seemed to shrink back into themselves at the sight of her, making way for her.

"Why not?" Shikamaru asked loudly.

She turned and blinked. Her eyes were so feline and so very hazel he felt like he was looking at something unnatural. "This land protects me. Master Orochimaru protects me. I am a witch and I also protect myself."

"What's your name?" Kimurimochi asked.

Her eyes seemed to widen at the sight of Kimurimochi and her strange colored hair and eyes. She squinted and for a second, Sasuke could swear he saw recognition flash across her face. She made a step towards Kimurimochi but stopped short and blinked. It was just a second but then it was gone and her face was blank; expressionless. She could tell what Kimurimochi was.

"What?" Kimurimochi asked blandly.

"Nothing. My name is Itzel." She said with her voice full in this unpredictable kind of way and turned sharply.

The forest was immense and almost overpowering. Sasuke held on to Hinata's arm and helped her as she struggled while Neji brought her knapsack. Running and walking about in dense unreliable terrain wasn't her strong suite. The smell of the place was strong and it hung in the air. Flowers that had blossomed turned and wet earth, fresh water from a waterfall. He could smell it all.

Nobody spoke- not that Sasuke particularly had anything to say. There was walking now at night trough a dense unreliable forest with a strange Amazon looking woman. She paused and glanced back.

"We should hurry; your friend isn't doing so good." She acknowledged right before Kimurimochi fell to her knees holding her head.

Sasuke came to a halt. She didn't scream but she lurched forward, nails deep in the dirt as both spit and blood flew from her mouth. She gasped, choking almost and wiped her mouth. She pressed her head against the soil, shaking terribly as if she was out and down in the snow. Her flesh was pink from holding in the cries and screams he was sure was clawing at her throat.

He was on his knees beside her, grabbing her face instantly. Her eyes were dilated and of course, she seemed like she couldn't even make out his face.

She chocked again and gagged again. "Fuck," she swore, her hand falling on Sasuke's shoulder breathing heavily. Her nails dug into his shoulders, strong enough to shatter his bone if he was human.

"Take a deep breath." He instructed her, her could feel her trembling.

"Maybe we should rest." Neji suggested.

"No," Sasuke and Kimurimochi said together.

They didn't have time to rest. Whether she was screaming or not, something was going wrong and it hadn't taken them any short time to get here. They needed to get help as soon as possible. Kimurimochi was not weak and Sasuke was not about to treat her like she was. Maybe Naruto did but he wasn't going to. He was going to push her. She could take it; he knew she loved a challenge.

She let out a choked, thick coagulated cry, grabbing her throat, her head hanging down. Naruto made move towards her but Sasuke held up his hand stopping him. He stared down at her. There was nothing they could do for her. More blood splattered from her mouth, veins taught with her eyes wide. She was wheezing and Sasuke saw the flash of silver like a string slide up her arm, under her skin.

Sasuke knelt down to her ear, his elbow resting on his knee casually. "Don't. Scream." He commanded her glancing at everyone around them.

She rolled over on the ground, her chest pressed down hard into the dirt. She choked again and grabbed Sasuke's hand, holding on to it for dear life. He watched the silver streak move into her neck and down into her chest. What on earth was happening to her?

She was panting, sweat running down her forehead. She gripped his arm tighter. Sasuke stood and brushed off his pants before offering her his hand. He stared up at him and he raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"I'm not carrying you." He said frankly. "Get up and walk."

She wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked up at him and smirked, pushing herself to her feet without his help. She grabbed Naruto's hand, ignoring the way everyone was staring at her. She took a deep breath.

"Let's get this over with. Her body is deteriorating and I can't stop it." She said shaking her head. "Too many of us. Too many,"

They moved quickly in silence, Kimurimochi right beside him keeping up with his pace. He took a side glance at her. She was warrior; no doubt about it and he would always have to give her credit for that. She caught him looking and flipped him off. He shook his head and adjusted his bag. They were going to get this done.

After what seemed like another half hour of walking, Itzel came to a halt in the forest. There was nothing around them that was out of the ordinary than what they all had been seeing since they started. Just trees, ferns, flowers, shrubs, roots, branches and dirt as far as they all could see. Itzel flicked her wrist idly and the ground trembled minutely and the group split open, revealing stairs going down into the Earth. She stepped aside and waved gestured towards the stairs.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Ino asked before anyone could.

"You don't." she replied. "I have to be the one to close the entrance; I must entre last in order to do that."

Sasuke shrugged. "What the hell." He muttered. He was tired and he just wanted to get this over this.

He was basically the leader so it was logical then for him to go first. He glanced behind him to see Kimurimochi shrugging also and walking behind him. Sasuke started to make his way down the steep steps. The stairs were wide, torches lining the walls so it was bright and clear. The wall wasn't even mud but smooth concrete. He descended how many stairs exactly? He wasn't even sure but there were many. He heard when Itzel closed the entrance but he wasn't even worried. If it was worried now it was obviously the wrong time. From they set out on this they were taking a big risk. He had nothing to be afraid of.

The corridor was long and seemed to go on forever. The further they walked, the larger it became, branching off into different paths, showing different archways and doors. He could hear talking behind some of the doors and in the archways, he felt like people were there in open spaces. Itzel pushed her way to the front and the wound around what felt like more of a tunnel than anything else. They left the torches behind for long fluorescent light blubs in the ceiling.

"Just how many people are there?" Sasuke asked Itzel walking beside her.

She looked at him slyly. "As much as we want there to be." She replied before looking down. She opened her mouth to say something but shook it off.

They followed her to two locked metal doors down the end of a corridor. Sasuke listened but he couldn't hear anything. Everyone was exhausted; he could see it on their faces. The ground was shaking slightly.

"What's going on in there?" Hinata asked, speaking for what appeared to be the first time.

"This is the Master's Experimental Play Chamber. I apologize but he's insisted this is the only place acceptable to be greeted considering your predicament." She locked eyes with Sasuke. "You are used to screaming yes?"

He nodded and tried not to get himself worked up. "We'll be fine."

She glanced around. "There is a lot of it." She empathized.

"I'm either about to faint or lose my fucking mind right about now with what's going on in my head. It's either you're going to open those doors or I'll blow it open." Kimurimochi snapped impatiently.

For a moment Sasuke wondered if she was afraid. Was she afraid that she was probably going to die now for something that they weren't certain would work? Time seemed to slow and he glanced at her, seeing her differently almost in that minute. He had never thought about it- he had never seen it that way. She was giving her life to save Sakura…she was losing more than he was in their fight to get her back. Was she afraid of dying? The moment passed too quickly.

Itzel nodded and rapped on the door in a special sequence before pushing the large metal doors open. She was right. There was screaming and whole lot of it. There was crazy, hysterical screaming; enough to either drive you insane or obliterate your humanity. Sasuke had never seen a lab this big. It was then he realized that the further they had walked the deeper underground they had been going.

The ceiling was extraordinarily high and it was all steel and cages. Itzel lead the way. Sasuke could see different doors as they walked and he could hear the screams of the insane. They walked down the corridor and through another set of doors and he knew instantly they were in the heart of the lab. There were slabs everywhere, operation tables, body containers like a morgue, cylinders with all sorts of creatures in them, submerged in all kinds of fluids. Jars and machines and it was freezing.

"Master," Itzel called, "They are here." She said looking around almost daintily.

She titled her head and moved deeper into the room where they came up on Orochimaru in a bloody apron, a syringe as large as his arm in one hand with a gas mask on. He looked up and his eyes raked over Sasuke. Sasuke tried not to let his skin crawl too much as Orochimaru inspected him with the same interest and uncomfortable immortal lust he was known for. Sasuke had always been Orochimaru's favorite back in the day when Sasuke had to leave Mikoto and go to training.

Orochimaru seemed to have forgotten the strange green headed girl strapped down before him with her skin cracked and gritty like gravel. Her head turned to look at Sasuke and she sneered. She seemed wild and delirious, eyes wide and bright. Oh he'd seen that one too many times recently.

"Master is busy!" She screamed. "Leave us alone!"

"Quiet pet," Orochimaru slithered, pulling the mask from his face. Orochimaru was a tall man with extremely translucent-looking pale skin and straight waist-length black hair with the front strands falling to his shoulders. He had a long face with pronounced cheekbones, golden eyes with slits in his pupils, purple markings around his eyes and fang-like teeth. He looked like a snake- evil, conniving and very lethal.

"Sasuke," Orochimaru acknowledged, his golden eyes twinkling glancing at everyone. "And you've brought me friends."

"Orochimaru. Under the must regrettable circumstances." Sasuke responded, "You know why I am here."

He titled his head from side to side idly. "So so," he said casually, "It's so good to see you." He said, his snake like tongue flicking out of his mouth as if he was looking at prey.

Sasuke tried not to gag or roll his eyes at the sight. He hadn't laid eyes on this abomination in such a long time he'd almost completely forgotten who he was dealing with. He pulled off his apron and ripped his gloves off. He was emitting a strange amount of excitement for Sasuke's liking.

Sasuke watched Naruto roll his eyes and sigh dramatically. "Where can we put all this?" he asked reluctantly.

"Itzel," Orochimaru said.

The girl nodded. "Yes master." She bowed low. Sasuke could see hearts in her eyes. She started taking the bags from everyone before cracking her neck and they disappeared.

"Master," the girl on the examination tabled cried, "it's my time now!" she wailed, tears rushing from her eyes.

Orochimaru cut a glance at Itzel so sharp she moved with intense speed. She grabbed the examination table that had the strange girl on it and wheeled her out. She was kicking, screaming and wailing at having to leave, throwing death threats at everyone in the room.

He glanced at her before shaking his head. "They become so consumed you see that it hardly becomes tolerable when they can't control it. She quiet relishes and enjoys our time together where I torture and break her to pieecess. It's hardly fair for such a grand time to be taken from her you know."

The lights above flickered.

"What were you doing to her?" Neji inquired calmly.

A hand gripped Sasuke. Kimurimochi's nails dug into his arm as she staggered forward. "Can we cut the chit chat and just jump…right…into it?" she asked teeth gritted before heading straight to the ground.

Orochimaru stood there, his eyes finally noticing her. His eyes blossomed in a kind of lust and hunger Sasuke had never seen. It was like an atom bomb, wide as if he was seeing the most euphoric thing in his entire life. His mouth parted and he took a deep, long breath with his tongue flicking out with reflex.

Kimurimochi screamed, her hand slamming against with ground with a crash, sinking straight into the cement. She gasped before growling, her nostrils flaring. She grabbed her head, the veins in her temples taught. Her hand balled into fist so tight Sasuke saw it draw blood. What the hell was going on? This wasn't making any sense? How the hell could Orochimaru help them with this?

"Nobody touch her." Orochimaru warned his head titled as if he was seeing the most sexual thing he'd ever witnessed. It was quite strange but he seemed extraordinarily excited with the turn of events. "Sasuke, you've done well." He slithered, walking over to Kimurimochi who was trying to control herself on the floor.

"I don't need you to tell me how well I have done." Sasuke said tightly trying to ignore all his reflexes. "Just fix this."

"What would you have me to do with her?" he whispered in admiration. He leaned in to stare Kimurimochi right in the eyes. "Let go." Then just like that Kimurimochi's body hit the floor like a sack of bricks.

Sasuke watched him. If there was one thing he remembered it was that Orochimaru did not like being questioned nor did he like being spoken to unless you were addressed once you were in his place. He didn't particularly know what Orochimaru would do but he knew it was best to just let him do it. What else was he going to do? He was already feeling helpless and he knew he didn't have much contribution but his knowledge right now. Sasuke watched as he picked up Kimurimochi's limp body. He glanced at Sasuke.

"I'm going to assume you've much to say. I'd advise you to start now while I'm doing this." He said placing her on an examination table.

Sasuke opened his mouth and began talking as if he was reciting from a piece of paper. He was talking fast and he was talking fluently because frankly, there was much to cover. While he spoke he watched Orochimaru bring over a trey with all sorts of instruments, empty jars, flat bottom flasks and all sorts of chemicals. He washed his hands and slapped on a new pair of gloves.

Orochimaru was skilled and Sasuke's eyes followed him carefully as he spoke. Orochimaru tore of Kimurimochi's blouse and placed a hijama cup atop her breast and something creamy started coming out, filling the sucker cup. He poured it into one of the flat bottom flasks. He started pouring all sorts of things in there, plugged the top and pushed it aside. He grabbed a large syringe and cracked his neck. He tore off her jeans and everyone watched as Orochimaru took bone marrow from her leg.

He held his hand up and Sasuke stopped short. He glanced down at the girl. "How many souls are in here then?"

"Three."

"Three in this human body?" he asked astonished. He placed the syringe down and grabbed her face, studying it. He shook his head. "I've never seen anything like this, near impossible."

"Yeah well, tell that to all the damn souls inside of that body right now." Ino said, arms folded.

"Sasuke, where did you say this girl is from?" he inquired, his brows creased, pulling her lids open to look at her eyes before looking at the liquid in the syringe.

"I never did." Sasuke replied.

"She wasn't conceived with the Kavazwalian girl by any chance was she?" he straightened.

"She was." Sasuke confirmed. "How do you know that?"

His eyes raked over her with a different kind of interest. "God…" He trailed off inserting another syringe into Sakura's left eye delicately, observing with impossible concentration what was being pulled into the syringe.

It seemed impossible but Sasuke had never seen anything in this world that had been able to surprise Orochimaru outside of battle. There was hardly anything he didn't know, hardly anything he didn't expect or couldn't figure out. He spent all his life doing experiments, making himself immortal even though his kind wasn't supposed to be. He was a mad scientist who thrived for all the answers plausible. Sasuke had never seen him speechless. Not until now when he stared at the syringe with completely confusion written all over his face.

Itzel came to his side. She looked down in admiration at Kimurimochi's body. "This is the girl isn't it?"

"That's not possible." He said quickly. "It's been eons…It has been hundreds of years Itzel. Let us not jump to such delusional conclusions."

"It explains why her body has been able to withstand so much for so long." She insisted. "The Kavazwalian is an Achite master, how long has that been? Eons, from before we even came here."

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Naruto demanded. "We're right here."

Orochimaru shook his head. "What else must I know?"

Sasuke didn't even ask. Truth be told, a part of him didn't even want to know what they were talking about. If there was one thing he couldn't deal with right now it was more surprises. He wasn't sure really what he'd do if there were any more surprises coming their way. He continued talking like there was never a break in conversation while Orochimaru finished probing her body.

He cracked his knuckles and began flicking his fingers. It was like watching a puppet master at work on his toys. Her limbs moved like he owned her in a way only inanimate things could really be owned. Her body levitated right off the slab over a round metal plate in the floor.

"There will not be much of body left if we don't begin this quickly. It's going at a rapid pace." He informed Sasuke as the ground opened and tubes came out, connecting to her body like they had a mind of their own.

"Why? Why is that happening?" Hinata asked softly.

"The souls are awake inside of her body. All of them all at once. Human or not, there is no body strong enough to sustain so many conscious souls all wanting a vessel."

An oxygen mask found its way on her face, wires and tubes without any help began inserting themselves inside of her arms and chest. He made a flicking motion and cylinder fell from the ceiling over her body, securing on the metal plate in the floor.

"Itzel, two parts Tulysa and one part Kikoloniel should be enough for the time being." He said. "Double sealed."

The girl nodded and scurried towards the cylinder. Sasuke dragged his eyes from Kimurimochi…or was it just Sakura's body now all alone? His heart constricted. He didn't know.

Orochimaru grabbed the flat bottom flask of mixture and began to pour them into the three conical flasks, adding different things to them. He spoke while he worked. "The initiation of this may take some time. Until that is done, there is no way I'll be able to move forward. I have to know completely what I am dealing with before I begin."

"Is there an estimate?"

"With what you've presented to me Sasuke, there is no way of telling." He said putting down the last flask. While he wasn't shaking them, the concoctions insides were still spinning and twirling, full of different colors. "We must wait for these to settle and there is no way of telling how long that will take."

"What does that prove?" Sasuke demanded.

"Many things Sasuke. Many things." He said pulling his gloves off. "I'm sure you've all had a long journey, this may take some time. Perhaps you want to get settled for the time being?" he asked but he was already shuffling them to the door.

Sasuke was so caught up in what was happening that the almost forgotten to hear the screams all around him from those in rooms, cages and in cells. He could hear banging behind some of the doors in the hall as they made their way through. He looked back to see the container Sakura was suspended in being filled with a translucent green mixture. He looked away.

He didn't know what they were going to do with her and he didn't know what was going to happen to Kimurimochi in the process. Hell, he didn't know what was going to happen to him either. They were almost out of his lab when there were three consecutive shattering sounds and there was a scream louder than the rest.

"OROCHIMARU!" The voice shrieked.

His heart seemed to propel like an engine as they fled back into the laboratory. The second Sasuke emerged he saw Sakura's mouth open in the oxygen mask, banging against the class as if she was drowning. Her head was shaking from side to side, her hair moving wildly through whatever solution Orochimaru had her in with her silent screams. Her eyes were wide and terrified, her fist hitting against the glass. She was going to break it.

Cracks emerged in the glass and before anyone knew what happened the container holding Sakura's body shattered and her body fell out. Liquid and glass went flying everywhere in the loud crash. Her body hit the floor with a thud and Sasuke covered his face to prevent the shards from flying into him. The second he looked again, he was almost frozen.

There was a girl atop of Itzel with her icy blue fingers wrapped around her throat with the intent to kill. Her hair was as black as Sasuke's very own. The oxygen mask was still on her face, Glass splinters had punctured her arms upon falling to the floor. She was shaking Itzel's body, gripping her neck so hard her hands were white.

Orochimaru's hand grabbed Naruto before he could rush over there. He stumbled back, staring. She tore the mask from her face and let out a blood curdling cry, her nails scraping across the floor. Itzel kicked her off, a kick so hard her body slammed into the opposite wall, cracking it. Sakura's body rolled and twitched as if she was battling between two things. Her hair whipped pink and she screamed, clawing the ground, shaking her head.

"HELP ME!" Sakura screeched, throat stripped raw but it was too fast, her hair switched black and Sakura's soul was gone again.

Itzel scrambled to her feet with blinding speed. Her arms lit up from the inside out with fire. Her nails elongated and her teeth became a series of sharp, jagged blades. The mouth of a shark- a mouth that was made for tearing flesh and shredding things.

"Itzel!" Sasuke warned moving towards her but she was faster than he anticipated she was already after Sakura or It?

"Fucking shit." Sasuke swore.

Itzel tried to punch her but Sakura's body grabbed her, slamming her into the floor. Her hand ripped back to punch her but Itzel grabbed her wrist burning through it. Sakura cried out and Itzel grabbed her, slamming her body into a table of tools, turning it over.

"Who is that?" Sasuke demanded, stunned.

"Sasuke can't you tell? It's you." Orochimaru asked smiling. "That's your soul. It's possessed her."

Sakura grabbed the examination table to her left and threw it at Itzel, following the movement of the table and kicking Itzel in the stomach. Sakura grabbed the girls head and slammed it into the concrete floor with blood thirsty vengeance. Itzel growled, her fire driven hand punching Sakura right in her throat. They were knocking over and destroying everything in their wild quick movements.

"Fuck." He swore, rushing over there.

He wasn't entirely sure what to do but if that was his soul, it was going to destroy more than Itzel. He grabbed Itzelt, pushing her behind him. She lunged forward but Naruto was there, grabbing her heated screaming body.

"I'm going to rip her throat out!" Itzel screeched kicking and screaming as Naruto tried to hold down.

Sasuke grabbed Sakura's body and froze for a split second as onyx eyes stared back at him. Onyx eyes that could have damn well been blacker than his very own. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, a kind of relief that made him uneasy to see her have. Her eyes welled with tears as she grabbed on to him, clawing at him as if she wanted to get right down into his skin.

"Get out right now." Sasuke commanded.

"NO!" It screamed, almost as if it didn't know how to speak.

It was erratic and the harder Sasuke tried to prey its hand off him the harder it held on. What the bloody hell was going on? Sasuke pushed her off and she all but gripped him, slamming him wild and erratic like an animal, sending them both to the floor. He was trying to control her but it was no use, she was fighting, latching on to him and clawing it him. She couldn't handle his rejection.

"This shouldn't be happening!" Sasuke shouted.

The final stage had already passed. Something like this should be completely impossible. Even Kimurimochi had been unable to find his soul inside of Sakura's body. They had already been over all the hurdles hadn't they? Sure with Sakura all the phases happened faster than normal. With for Itachi, the stages had taken almost four years for Krystal to complete it but it had all happened with Sakura in less than a year.

It slammed Sasuke into the wall with a strength Sasuke never imagined coming from that little body. The wind knocked out of him but Neji was there, grabbing her around the waist and tearing her away from him. She was kicking and shrieking.

"What the hell is going on?" He yelled barely able to control Sakura's body that elbowed right in the stomach.

She threw a punch and Neji dodged it, looking at Sasuke with uncertain eyes. Of course Neji didn't want to hit her. Sasuke's face darkened. He would just have to do it then.

He took a deep breath before he could change his mind, grabbed her, spun Sakura around and slapped her in her face so hard Sakura's body skidded across the floor. She thrashed against the floor like a child. That thing was not Sakura.

"Enough!" Sasuke shouted like he was talking to an animal.

Sasuke straddled her, gripping her throat to keep her head in place. His other hand hovered above her head, chanting trying to push his soul back in. His heart was thudding in his chest, its screams like fire in his wounds. He ignored the almost addictive need to have it. He ignored the urge to rip open Sakura's body and lick every inch of his souls out. Its nails clawed at his hands, nails digging in so hard it drew blood.

Her body went limp beneath him and her hair faded out back into that pink. He was panting, half of him traumatized that he'd just actually had to hit her to the floor. He heard shouting around him but for some reason, Sasuke took his time. He struggled to his feet and brushed off his pants, picking pieces of glass from his arm. There was blood but not enough for him to make any kind of fuss over. He bent down and picked her up.

"….Fuck did you do!?" he heard Ino's voice screaming like some wild beast in the jungle.

He took a deep breath and sighed. Couldn't they all just keep it together for a second? He turned and his eyes settled on the scene. Naruto was still holding Itzel in a vice grip and Shikamaru grabbed Ino the second the lunged for the girls throat. His eyes were harder than stone, glazed over with ice.

He looked over at Orochimaru who wasn't even paying them any attention, but hunched over the table that had held the conical flasks before they had left the laboratory and all hell broke loose.

"Ino," Sasuke said as calmly he could muster, "What is going on?"

"She did something!" Ino yelled. "I know she damn well did, I can feel it in every cell of my body this lying fucking bitch!"

Shikamaru held on to her tighter. "Baby, you need to calm down, now isn't the time."

"Don't tell me what to fucking do!"

"Ino!" Hinata shouted duly pissed off. "This isn't the place or the time! You're causing more chaos so take a step back and quit shouting!" She hissed, her lavender ponytail swinging behind her with her arms akimbo.

Ino took a deep breath and rolled her eyes and did something that surprised even Sasuke. Ino pushed Shikamaru off and stormed over to Orochimaru. She tapped his shoulder her eyes hard.

"Ino," Sasuke warned. There wasn't anything he could do; he was still holding Sakura's body with nowhere to lay her.

Orochimaru glanced at her and Ino pointed at Itzel. "I didn't travel half way around the world to have one of your play things make this a waste of my time. I know what she did, I can feel it. You better make her talk."

Orochimaru didn't seem interested much in all the chaos that had died down. Sasuke couldn't tell what was on the table or what he was looking at that now held his attention. He beckoned Itzel forward who seemed to have gone stark white. Orochimaru didn't even ask Ino if she was right or not.

"What is it that you have done?" He asked simply.

She stumbled forward, "Master I…" she cleared her throat, eyes darting everywhere around the large laboratory but couldn't rest on him. "I…"

"I don't have time. Speak."

"You said two parts Tulysa and one part Kikoloniel Master but I thought that would have not been enough for her. I added a fourth Bakadon route solution and one eighth Siccastanglasta."

He paused and his eyes were calculating. "Yes I could see where you were going with that and why that could have caused some problems. Had I not known what I just found out, I would have done that eventually as well." He turned and titled his head for Sasuke to follow him.

Sasuke walked over to him and glanced at the table. All Sasuke could see were all the liquids spilling over the table onto the floor, three burning holes through the table falling even through the floor going deeper than his eyes could see and none of the flasks insight. He saw a few dusted minute splinters under the table. _Ah hell_, he thought.

"Don't tell me that wasn't supposed to happen either." He groaned. He had jinxed himself because here were all these bloody surprises.

Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke. "Do you know what this means?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell us." He said deadpanned.

"This was told me so me so long ago that the mere idea of it seemed completely impossible. I've never seen anything like this. Something has awakened inside of her." he stated. "Something stronger than I've ever seen."

"What?" Shikamaru asked staring at him dumbfounded. "Are you telling me there is another soul in here?"

"I understand that these are all impossible scenarios here where Sakura is concerned," Sasuke said, "But there is no way I can possibly believe there is another soul inside of this body. There is just no way she could have possibly lasted this long with another Kavazwalian being inside of her. The odds of having one, let alone three inside a human body is probably zero to a billion. This situation in and of itself with my soul alone shouldn't even be possible."

"No. She is not carrying a _soul._" Orochimaru glanced at the girl in his arms and Sasuke felt overly protective of her body, now limp and light in his arms.

He held Sakura's body closer to him, wet and naked as she was. He dared not look at her or weakness would overcome him and he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't afford to be weak right now that would benefit no one and wouldn't get them anywhere.

"Then what is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Your Gardien D'âme is carrying _divinity _and it is awakening. You are also correct, her body cannot handle it."

Everyone went rigid around him. Sasuke looked at Orochimaru as if he had lost every shred of his sanity just now. His words bounced right off his body to hit into the hallow walls. What? He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He hadn't told Orochimaru about the god they had located in the Agape Forest. As a matter of fact, Sasuke had omitted everything related to that when he was relaying his information.

"She's what?" Hinata asked stunned.

He nodded. "There is divinity inside her body."

Sasuke had one concern and one concern only. "Can you save her?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "In repairing Sakura's soul, the Kavazwalian has trigged a chain reaction inside of the body. A large amount of power has been redistributed which has caused this to happen. With that much redistribution in one body containing more than one soul and being around powerful entities like yourself it's no wonder it has caused this entity to stir. I cannot stop what has already been started. There is no guarantee she will live Sasuke." Their eyes locked. "I knew you were different from the day your mother brought you to me. I could tell there was something else about you, to say you are the one to achieve something this great was beyond even my highest hopes for you and believe me Sasuke, I had many."

Sakura's hair turned silver, the mercury streak moving from her heart, lighting up her veins. Hinata stepped forward and looked at Sakura. He looked down at her. He watched her skin become dry in a matter of seconds, so dry the skin cracked at her arms and shoulders. The silver streak seemed to move like water through her veins, her skin now pink in some places and red like blisters in others. How could there be something to save after this much damage?

"There is something I have not be told. I would like to know it now." Orochimaru said.

Hinata took a deep breath. "Some months ago we located Rugonshi, God of the Human Relam in the Agape Forest. He is not completely awake nor can we see or perceive him in any way. With Kurenai's help we have only been able to lock his powers away to stop the chaos that he has caused. The Kavazwalian community is already in panic from all the Awakenings his presence has caused. He has rearranged many DNA in hundreds of species, even Humans are being affected." She said looking down at Sakura with a reverence unbound. "It's Her isn't it?" she whispered to Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru who is this inside of her?" Sasuke dared himself to ask. "Who is killing Sakura's body?"

"Asanephpa." He said. "Asanephpa is waking and this human body cannot hold her."

_**At least I didn't come back with a short chapter right? I hope it wasn't too long but I also hope that it wasn't too confusing. I know this story plot is a lot to take in and that it can get a bit confusing so I hope you guys are following alright. If some of you aren't just let me know and in my next update, I'll publically concisely clear up misconceptions. **_

_**I HOPE YOU ALL ARE HAVING A GREAT SPRING BREAK OR EASTER OR WHATEVER HOLIDAY IT IS YOU GUYS ARE HAVING! STAY STRONG AND POSITIVE! **_

_**Endless Love, D.V**_


	66. Chapter 66

_**WELCOME! PLEASE, READ AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Six]**

Sasuke shook his head as if to clear it. Nobody else seemed to be able to speak in the mildly destroyed laboratory.

"What?" Naruto asked. "What do you mean Asanephpa is inside of Sakura? That's impossible; Gods cannot live inside of people. They can't even exist consciously here to begin with. That makes absolutely no sense."

Orochimaru shook his head at Naruto's naivety. "There is much you do not know about the Gods of the Realms, much that never made it over here on Earth when we were put here. It is a very complicated matter that neither I could explain to you in a timely manner or even try. Suffice to say, I know what I am talking about. This was prophesized when I was a child In Kamalpa, eons ago when Pvyémhvoralyka was hit with Wickedness."

"Those stories cannot possibly be true." Neji retorted stunned for there was not a Kavazwalian in History that had never heard that terrible horrific story about Pvyémhvoralyka **( A/N This is the closest Kavazwalian to Human Language translation which in English almost means 'Fate' and so** **Pvyémhvoralyka is referred to as Fate by ****modern**** Kavazwalians. He has been referred to as Fate throughout the story see chapter 37)** growing up as kids.

Fate the Alpha and Omega of the destinies, the God of all the gods and goddesses- Fate was King. Pvyémhvoralyka was not worshipped by Kavazwalians because he was not their Deity but Fate was worshipped by the Gods. Fate went unquestioned, unchallenged. Nothing and no one had ever seen Its face but there had been a period –long before Sasuke was even born- on Kamalpa when Fate went through a period they had called Wickedness. Earth –those who believed- called him the One True God, Zoelogunkamhubuf –another world- Called him Kiwhdaiulp (This is the closest English translation). He had many names. Kurenai was a Kavazwalian prophet of Fate as there were many others.

"Perhaps much of it has been lost in translation but they are not just stories. Every story has its origin. I'm sure you all believed the story of Rongonshi and Asanephpa were just stories. I've been alive a long time. They are not stories."

"Then why haven't any of you been able to find them?" Naruto demanded waving his hands about. "It's been millions of years if any of this is true."

"Do you think we can find God boy?" Orochimaru asked, displeased with his insolence. "Do you think you could find a God that does not even dream? It's been a million years over that we have searched and a millions years over we have never been able to find either of them. There is hope in our prophets and seers of the Celestial like your dear Kurenai. We stopped searching for we would never find them until Fate was tired of waiting. As long as He wanted our Gods gone, they will stay gone. We are pawns on Fate's board. Have you been taught nothing?"

Many called the period Fate went through with Kamalpa the Wickedness but what they said he had done during that time they called the Balance of Eons. There was no proof of this of course it just speculation- an educated guess to fill the void the sudden loss of communication with Asanephpa had caused. Not many people believed this story anyway –from Sasuke had been a child that was all they had seemed to be at the time.

It was said that it was no coincidence that Asanephpa and Rogonshi fell from the Celestial Realm but a long preordained occurrence that Fate created Himself once Asanephpa and Rogonshi fell in love- from before even Earth or Kamalpa came into being. From even before either of them became Gods- even that was a mystery, no one knew how Gods came to be. Their falling was seen as punishment for their act against the celestial laws that had forbade the fusing of realms and worlds. They said that it was Fate that made that happen, Fate that made them fall and that it was to restore the balance that fusing the worlds had created.

Sasuke had always thought that it was a just person making up foolish excuses as they searched to be acknowledged and heard by Asanephpa who was known for being interactive with her people, speaking to those who were chosen and not forsaking her people. He had thought that they created all these stories to fill the hole her absence had caused. Oh she fell and that is why she is gone. She's being punished for her sin. Anything. He had never thought…

"So what are we going to do now?" Shikamaru asked. "Where do we go from here?"

"The souls are fine until her body is completely lost. Once the body is gone and these souls are out with no immediate body they will die. We must preserve her and we have very little time." Orochimaru glanced at Itzel. "What we have tried will not be enough. Get Latiel (La-Ti-L) and Valila (Va-lie-la) to perform a Triagonal Preservation Technique on her body."

"This is no longer a scientific matter?" Neji inquired.

"No, I'm afraid it is not. This laboratory will be of no assistance."

"Is there anything else Master?" she asked, eyes casted down.

"Yes. Let Violet know that her skills are finally needed. " He said turning. "Follow me." He said moving through the lab and down corridors.

Sasuke was exhausted. "Itzel wait. Orochimaru, which of us do you need?" He asked before making any move to follow him.

He was a ways down the lab already, behind a large glass container full of purple liquid. It looked like a gigantic fish tank but Sasuke couldn't see anything inside. "You most certainly. The Huyga boy may be useful."

Sasuke took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright then, everyone else go get some sleep. It doesn't make much sense for you all to push yourselves if there isn't anything you can do right now."

"Sasuke what no," Shikamaru objected, "I want to stay for this."

"Me too," Ino interjected stubbornly.

Sasuke gave Ino a once over. "If you stand for much longer you're going to end up passing out on the floor from exhaustion. You haven't eaten in hours nor have you slept. You all need to rest. If anything happens you will know."

"Sasuke's right." Neji said looking at all of them. "All you'll be doing is probably standing there when you could be getting something to eat and some sleep."

"You're just saying that because you get to go with him." Ino shot back. "This isn't fair! I didn't travel all this way to sit this out."

"No you didn't but you also didn't come here to stand in the way either. What do you think is going to happen?" Sasuke demanded rhetorically; his patience now tested.

Her lips hardened in a thin line but she looked down. Shikamaru draped his hands around her shoulders comfortingly. "They're right babe. You're exhausted." He whispered.

Sasuke almost envied them. He found himself admiring them on this journey. He was like water to her flame, a catalyst to the hurricane that was her emotions. Shikamaru knew how to handle Ino very well. She sighed and grasped his hand, nodding her head reluctantly. He could see the tears in her eyes.

"And we could use some food, a good shower and some rest." Naruto said calmly his eyes forsaking nothing. "I'm sure if he needs us we'll know."

"Alright. I guess you know what's best right now." She said. "Sakura's been dead anyway." She said blandly and Sasuke tried not to flinch.

"Sasuke, we do not have time to waste." Orochimaru called.

"Itzel, please take of them for me." He said looking at her.

She shifted her feet. "I have orders from Orochimaru however; I'll put them under the care of someone else to see to it that they are taken care of." She agreed. "Come with me."

Sakura's body barely felt alive in his arms as he carried her, following silently behind Orochimaru as everyone else walked in the opposite direction. He was in a kind of daze he wasn't sure he would be able to get out of any time soon. He could hear that Neji and Orochimaru were talking to him but they sounded so far away. The only thing he could do was hold on to Sakura and walk.

He had no idea where they were going, he couldn't remember how long it had been since he slept or since he even ate any kind of food nor could he recall just how long it had been since he'd had a soul to eat. Lord what he would do to have a soul right now. He'd been living on stale ones, held up and solidified in thermoses for months because he could not even find the time to go out and get his own.

Her hair brushed over his arms, falling over and swinging. It was that pink he remembered. It was that pink he fell in love with. It was that pink that made him notice her for the first time and made it unable for him to stop. That pink that wrapped around her body with a heart softer than cotton candy on a day so pure there was nothing but carefree embedded in it.

"Sasuke," Neji said loudly holding his shoulder.

Sasuke raised his head. "Yeah?"

Neji's eyes softened and he sighed. He looked tired. It's been a while since Sasuke saw Neji look real dog tired. He supposed this situation was more than applicable. "You need to put her down mate."

"Right," he agreed looking around his surroundings for the first time. There was a wooden slab in front of him and he laid Sakura down on it carefully.

The room was high-walled and enormous. There were countless shelves and cupboards to his left that went the entire length of the wall, rows from one end to the other all the way to the ceiling. They were stacked with vales, solutions, potions, jars, containers, stopper-flasks and containers. Hundreds of them. To his right were book cases, one next to the other high to ceiling stacked tightly with books bound in old leather skins, scrolls rolled up and stacked. There was an archway all the way down right, and a door at the wall facing the door Sasuke came through.

There were tables and chairs, glass cases and cabinets all over with all sorts of things Sasuke had never seen, the floor so shine he could see his face in it. Even with how packed with things the room seemed to be it was so large that it felt almost empty.

Orochimaru without a second thought flicked his finger and a white sheet spread over her pale and cracked body. She reminded him of cracks in the canyon floors. He checked her eyes and started walking around looking for something. For what he wasn't sure.

Orochimaru was already at the back of the room, pulling a door open and walking through it. "I saved the scrolls. After enough time, I thought it was pointless but I could not bring myself to throw them away. What if the day actually came? As impossible as it had seemed throughout all the lifetimes I have lived through."

"What are they?" Neji asked, walking around the wall looking up at all the concoctions on the shelves.

"They are instructions. I had every word memorized once but now I seem to only vaguely recall having ever read them. I was a boy in the temple when this was prophesized by one of our –now dead- Supreme Fatiesto. As a mere boy unlike the elders, I gobbled every word that came from his mouth. Others thought it was rubbish ah here they are." He said walking out with two large scrolls in his arms.

They walked over to stare at it in admiration. "This is lardon skin," Sasuke whispered.

He'd only seen lardon skin a handful of times in his life. It was always a humbling experience seeing as they did not have those animals anymore. Kamapla never had things like paper and pens so they used Lardon skin –an animal he never had the privilege to ever see in his lifetime either. There was that nostalgia. Sometimes it was almost too strong; missing a home you'd never been- a home you could never go to.

"It is." He agreed looking down at the paper, his eyes hallow. He shook his head. "So many things Sasuke…we lost and had so many things taken from us during this change." He said bitterly.

Sasuke looked up at him before stretching his hand out to touch the paper. It was thin and soft but it had aged tremendously over so many years. It was however, stronger than fabric and almost impossible to tear. He handed one to Sasuke and another to Neji just as itzel and along with three other girls walked in.

"You can have a look at those while I gather some things if Itzel finds it fitting to give you the time." He said turning.

Two of them looked like they could be the same as whatever Itzel was with their long straight black hair, dark skin, well defined and edgy features. They were covered in animal skin, eyes almost too feline and one held a spear in her hand. The only striking difference between them really was the color of their eyes. They looked like warriors. They only made the other girl stand out.

"Violet come." Orochimaru said shuffling around.

She smiled wildly, her cheeks flushing timidly as she walked around the girls to Orochimaru in the back of the room. She had long violet hair, layered and falling over her shoulders stopping at her knees. She had no clothes but her body was bound with bandages from the shoulders down. Her feet were bare, her face round and smooth with eyes almost too purple. Her lips were a dark almost suede purple color and Sasuke could tell just from where she stood that she was excited.

"Your friends are currently eating." Itzel said to Sasuke opening one of the glass show cases and pulling out a vase handing one to each of the girl. "This is Latiel and Valila and they will be helping us in our efforts to help you. I want to apologize about what happened in the laboratory I was only trying to help. I got the best of myself when I had made the mistake. I hope you can forgive me."

"What is it exactly are you going to do?" Sasuke inquired.

"We are going to be doing a Triagonal Preservation Technique on her body. Do you see what is happening to her body right now?" Laitel asked running her fingers along Sakura's arm. "It's incredible. I've never seen it this extensive before."

"Usually when bodies decay in this manner, the energy comes out of the body but as you can see, it's being sucked in. The life force in the body is being sucked inwards by the souls inside of her body. If this keeps going on, what will happen is that all the life will be gone and this body will literally just break away and turn into dust. We are going to stop that from happening and if anything, reverse it as much as possible." Valila said in that strong, lost exotic voice.

How could he trust these people? He didn't know any of them here except Orochimaru and that wasn't saying much. They weren't obligated to help him and if anyone of them had to pick a side they would pick Orochimaru without even thinking about it. He couldn't bring himself to trust what they were doing; did they even understand the extent of the situation going on here?

He understood that Orochimaru was a man more knowledgeable and educated than most but that didn't mean his subjects were as well. This was his only chance, he knew that but a big part of him was hoping against all hope that they didn't betray him and that this didn't blow up his face because if it did, this entire place might end up going out in flames.

"We are going to need your blood." Itzel said as all the girls started drawing triagonal symbols along the slab in the different colors of dust? He wasn't sure what it was nor was he sure whether he wanted to know or not.

He held his hand out and Valila laughed. "Not like that. That would be disastrous now wouldn't it? You'd kill her body in a second."

"Your blood is impure." Itzel said glancing up at him from her bend position. "We must first purify your body. I hope you have been a good person throughout your life. The more impure you are the more horrible this purification process will be for you."

"How long will it take?"

She shrugged. "That all depends."

There were mobile ladders near the shelves of ingredients. The chaos started then and Sasuke wasn't sure he got through all that started happening. They started calling out ingredients that they needed to make the purification drink as they set up a station on one of the near tables. Sasuke and Neji set to work, getting everything they needed from each shelf, along the whole length. By the time they were done and it was blended it was a white globular looking thing she poured into a bowl. He didn't even hesitate. He drank it all in one go.

Nothing happened.

He tapped his fingers against the table.

Nothing.

"Is that it?"

"No." Itzel said.

A pain seared through his abdomen and Sasuke buckled over. Fire pooled in his belly and his body shook, a growl coming from him. The curse mark adorned his flesh instantly. It propelled into him more pain than he could ever imagine.

"That's it." Valila said watching Sasuke head to the floor.

He was writhing on the floor, crying out in pain. The transformation happened without his consent, his body in turmoil clawing at everything and anything to stable himself. He felt when he hit everything clear off the table, hardly in control of his body and the burning of his flesh. He wanted to rip the skin from his bones, tear the tendons and muscles away. It was inside of him, between him and in everything that made him who he was down to the hair on his head.

"Sasuke!" Someone grabbed him. He was sure he was destroying everything around him.

His body convulsed, had spasms and pulsed. His screams were so loud he felt like would deaf himself but he couldn't stop. It was surreal this feeling, burning through him as if it was recreating him and reincarnating him. He was on his hands and his knees, his wings pushing from his back, spread wide, hands gripping his head. Madness. That's all it was pure and complete madness.

"Hold him down!"

"I can't!" A voice shrieked. "Itzel help us!"

He didn't know who or what he was. He just wanted to unmake everything. He wanted to unmake the world and unmake himself. He wanted to unmake this pain that he was feeling, rid himself and the world of it. Sasuke had no control, his breathing so hard and so agonizing fire came out from his nose. His entire body was shaking. His back arched high and he could see nothing. Sasuke could see absolutely except the darkness of the dead.

There was something ashy beneath all his pain as if something was being burnt and stripped away from him. Like it was being carved off, his body wood and the crafts man sawing him down, smoothing him out with rough gritting sand paper. He clawed and scratched as his skin. It was almost unbearable his nails scratching so hard his own skin caked up under his nails, his teeth sinking into his lips until he tasted blood. He felt like a maniac huffing and puffing, his wings expanding only to coil back in without his control. His body didn't feel like his anymore. His body didn't feel like anything he had ever known.

His nails scraped across the hard floor, scratching so hard they began to tore and the beds of his fingers began to bleed. The vessels in his neck were taught and red, Sasuke felt like he was going to die. He couldn't breathe and he felt strangled, as if he could let nothing out and bring nothing in. He felt like his sins were caving down on him and he was going to be murdered by them. His growls were primal and blood curdling, heavy set and damp like it was humid inside of his throat. It was strained each sound and he could not remember where he had ever gotten the will to want to have lived as long as he had.

Then it started fading. Slowly like the lowering of temperature and he fell back, breathing heavily. His head felt like it was going to explode by the time it had all gone. He rolled on his side coughing, unable to even open his eyes. He heaved in a deep breath. His entire body was shaking, his fingers pained him, his throat felt hoarse and he felt like he was still trapped in the nightmare. He could still feel the phantom of all the flames lulling beneath his skin, lingering on the outside of him. That was traumatizing. Sasuke did not think that was something he would ever be able to forget.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm not dead…" Sasuke coughed throatily, "if that's what you're wondering."

"That was over quicker than I thought though." One of them mused Sasuke couldn't tell which one. "It was only fifteen minutes. Must have been one hell of a life you've lived."

"There was no way to make that any less excruciating?" Sasuke asked rolling flat on his back, sweat running down his arm on the floor. He felt like he was just thrown through a grinder.

They laughed. "It could have been worse. Trust me."

He pushed himself off the floor and grasped Neji's forearm to steady himself. "That's only slightly comforting." He said coughing again and sucking in air.

Itzel grabbed his hand and sliced so deep into his palm he actually winced. She slit down the sides of two fingers and Valila pulled the sheet from Sakura's body.

"Cover her." They all said quickly.

Sasuke stared at them dumbfounded. "In my blood?" he questioned suddenly uncertain. They nodded.

"Just run your arms over her, especially over the heart and neck. We don't have time; don't you see what's happening? If it gets any worse the body will be too far gone." Letiel hissed. "Your soul is the most powerful bonding between you and her, your purified blood is the most powerful thing we could ever use to fix this. You need to cover her in your pure blood."

They were right. The cracks had enlarged to deep, lightning bolt shaped open wounds on her body, thick with blood that would not run. Sasuke stumbled over to the slab and held out his other unslit hand to Itzel. "Better just cut this one too." He said grimly running his hands down her skin.

It was dry and so cracked it hurt his palm when he started dragging his hands down her body. It was like running his hand over broken glass. His blood smeared all over her neck and chest, his hands running over her breasts. He'd always thought of touching her body but never like this. When his other palm was cut he was spewing blood. His hands ran down her legs and thighs, over her abdomen and fingers. They told him to rest his bleeding palms over her heart and he did.

They stood at different parts around the slab, joined hands forming a triangle and began to chant. They were talking in a language that even Sasuke had never heard. The ground beneath their feet lit up and it was like air blowing up from the ground, their hair whipping around them as they chanted. Something like a chain formed connected them in the triangle. He could feel the strength of the heart underneath his palm increasing.

Her heart started beating harder, fiercer. It beat so hard his hand shook over it, his eyes wide stunned. Power. There was so much power in the muscle Sasuke watched his hand trembling under its rhythm. He watched as his own blood sank into the cracks of Sakura's skin as if it was being sucked in and watched, transfixed as her skin seemed to become lush and full. It was like the rain had started falling in the deserts and life began to grow again. He watched the girls and he saw Itzel flicked her head. He took his hands off Sakura and ducked under their arms and out of the triangle they had formed.

He stood next to Neji and watched as Sakura's body began to rise from the slab to hover about half a 24" above it. Her hair fanned out like she was underwater, her hands at her side and the cracks along with his blood were gone. She seemed rejuvenated. There was a thin line surrounding her body – almost yellow like. They broke the triangle and Itzel threw the sheet back over Sakura's body, covering her.

"That won't preserve her for very long." She told Sasuke sadly, "but it should be enough time to get something done. "

"Done already?" Orochimaru asked casually, appearing from almost nowhere with Violet next to him.

"That was mighty fast." Violet mused walking up the stare at Sakura's body like it was an artifact in a museum.

Sasuke was bent at the waist, light headed and breathing heavily. The gashes in his hand were healing already but he had been through the weed whacker on an empty stomach and little sleep. His heart was beating quickly and he tried his best to catch his breath.

"I am impressed my pets." He commented .

They all bowed their heads. "Thank you master."

He glanced at Sakura. "Fine work. How long do you think we have with her?"

"Twelve hours most Sir, that is the best we could do here. There are too many things going on inside there, the Preservation Technique just isn't able to work for as long as it should."

"Twelve hours should be fine." He looked at Sasuke. "The worst part for you won't be this. The worst part for you Sasuke will be the waiting." He warned beforehand.

Sasuke nodded a slid to the floor, breathing deeply through his nose. He needed just a minute to get himself together. He stared up at Sakura's body longingly. He really did love her. He loved her with everything he was made of and he would do anything it took to get her back. He didn't care what it cost him anymore. He didn't care if it cost him friends, the admiration of his people, the life he had right now, his family- Sasuke didn't care anymore.

He glanced at Orochimaru who was slipping into a lab coat and slapping on some gloves. He pulled out a syringe and dipped it into a jar with gray-brown liquid. Violet followed his actions simultaneously a smile plastered on her face.

"Sasuke, what is your greatest fear?" Orochimaru asked calmly walking over to him and kneeling down.

Sasuke looked up at him, his eyes skeptical. "Losing her," he said after a moment, "knowing that she's dead."

"She was dead."

"She isn't anymore." Sasuke snapped.

He nodded. "I am going to inject you with this to create a physically parallel connection between the two of you. There is not enough time to explain any of this to you. This step alone may drag on for hours and as you know we have very little time. However, anything can happen once the link is created you understand? You may be stuck in your worst fears Sasuke and they will be realer than anything else you've ever experienced. You must not be afraid." He warned.

Sasuke nodded. "Alright." He agreed reluctantly. What other choice did he have really?

Orochimaru glanced back at Violet. "Shall we begin then?"

She nodded. "Yes master. I've waited long for this."

Sasuke titled his neck and Orochimaru swiped it with antiseptic before injecting him with the brown gray liquid. It pinched a little and burnt as if the liquid itself was hot.

_Sasuke's eyes opened and he squinted, putting his hand to his face to shield his eyes from the blindingly bright sunlight. It was so bright he felt like sky and the sun were both pure white light, ready to blind him completely. Where the hell was he? He pushed himself up on his elbows, his fingers sinking into something light and grainy. He looked down at the almost white sand that his fingers sank down deep into. _

_He was on a beach. The sand was soft and the water before him was so clear and beautiful, reflecting the light so brilliantly it looked like the water was covered in shimmering diamonds. It was warm too; exceptionally warm and he could feel all his bones relaxing. The palm trees were many meters high, lining up near the shore showing the beginning of a forest. Was he on an island?_

_Sasuke looked down at himself as he stood. He was shirtless and in beach shorts. All his scars and tattoos were gone, his skin airily clean and smooth. He looked around and fumbled at the sight of her. She was far away but he couldn't miss that pink hair a day in his life. She was beautiful leaning back in the sand, with a green tunic over her body. She couldn't be real could she? He squinted and started moving. _

_His heart was racing wildly in his chest and he couldn't figure out why exactly. He was nervous and he could feel this fear in the back of his mind, trying to push itself forward. He tried pushing it down, refusing to allow himself to feel it but it wouldn't go away. Sasuke was uneasy and the closer he got, the more uneasy he became. The hairs on his neck stood on end and Sasuke realize, Sakura was not sitting alone. _

_She didn't even look in his direction as she sat there on the sand speaking to an almost mirror image of himself – his soul. Sasuke's own hands were shaking. This wasn't right. Something was wrong. Something was wrong here._

"_Sakura," he said softly, his voice coming out weaker than he intended. _

_She hissed and glanced up at him, a scowl on her face. There was also a scar extending from her left eye right down to the right side of her bottom lip. He stumbled back at little at the sight of it but her eyes moved from him the second she looked up and she didn't even seem to register him; they weren't even looking directly at him. She turned her head away again as if she had imagined it. Sasuke walked to stand in front of her but she didn't even move. _

_The hand she was holding, -was it his hand?- was bleeding between them on the sand. There were razor sharp blades coming for the boys hand as he held on tightly to Sakura's own. _

_He dived down trying to prey their hands away. The blood seemed to seep down into the sand beneath them and He looked up at Sakura. Her face seemed completely blank as if she didn't even feel the razors down deep into her skin. He couldn't get their hands apart; it was like he couldn't even touch either of them. _

_He felt like there was something he should know, something about this was really off but he couldn't jog his memory. His head pounded, his hands were shaking and his heart was racing so fast Sasuke felt like he might pass out. _

_He grabbed her face. "Sakura! You have to snap out of this!" he shouted. Her eyes darted everywhere except at him. They looked everywhere except in front of her and that's how he knew. "I know you can see me. Look at me."_

_Her mouth open but not sound came out. "Run." She mouth, her eyes landing on his. _

_Fear blossomed in them. Fear so raw and so strong Sasuke for a minute couldn't understand where it had come from all of a sudden. Tears filled her eyes and Sasuke looked down at their hands in the sand then at her face. He swallowed, touching her scar. _

"_I…he did that to you?" he asked. _

_She looked away and pretended that she couldn't see him, staring out at the water. He had to read her lips when they parted. "He can't see you but I can. He is in the opposite zone of this island but if I talk he will hear me. You're not supposed to be here."_

_His hands were shaking. "Do you remember me?"_

_The tears tumbled over, her brows drew in together creasing at the middle and a pained looked washed over her face. "How can I ever forget you Sasuke?" she looked at him. _

_Her lips trembled and Sasuke couldn't fight it. Relief flooded him and he didn't care even about what she had just told him. He kissed her, pressing his lips to hers with his insides collapsing on one another in disbelief. Her body felt so present, so real and human against him that he couldn't even remember to breathe. Her free hand wound around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair and his eyes watered. _

_She broke away from him to scream and that's when Sasuke remembered that this was not his dream. This was his nightmare. His mirror image tore Sakura from the ground to her feet and snapped her hands at the elbows. She shrieked her voice stripped raw, tears cascading down her face. _

"_STOP HIM!" She yelled, her voice coagulated and strained. _

_The eyes of his mirror image were black like cesspools, flatter than a paved road and hungry. He could see the fire in them but they thought the same way. Sasuke was this mirror image and this mirror image was Sasuke. Every moved he made the mirror image followed him. Each thought Sasuke had, it had it too. He knew before it happened but before Sasuke could even move; his mirror image slit her throat. He slit it so deep Sasuke watched the blood go everywhere, his eyes staring right at the vocal cords in her throat. _

"_Why?" she mouthed, the light fading from her eyes until they were flatter than the eyes of the dead._

_He blinked, his body in shock but once his eyes opened he was in a maze and there was laughter. This wasn't real. None of this was real; these were just his fears and nothing else. This wassn't real but it was her laughter and Sasuke was desperate for her. He was more desperate for her more than anything else and he couldn't help himself, he started running. _

_She sounded happy and more alive than she was just moments ago. The walls of the maze were high, roses and thorns embedded in its living walls. His feet hit against the brick paths. He was barefoot this time and he wasn't sure why. It was dark and the moon hidden behind a cloud. _

_More laughter and giggles. "Where are you!?" Sakura called in her singsong voice. _

_He followed her voice but it seemed to echo everywhere. His eyes were frantic and that sinking feeling filled his stomach. He had to find her before something bad happened to her. He had to find her before-_

_A scream pierced the air and Sasuke stopped abruptly. Sakura was naked on her knees, a knife pressed to her throat, a bullet wound that had ripped her chest open spilling blood but she was not dead. A figure he vaguely recognized as himself –as blurred and clouded as it was- stood behind her. _

_Her mouth was open but only blood came it. The figure forced her body to the floor and got on top of her. Sasuke knew what was going to happen; he knew the moment her legs opened. _

_He was over there in seconds, his hands and body desperate to prey this thing off Sakura's body but he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, no matter what he did he could not stop the sequence of events happening. He couldn't dull her screams. This wasn't real. This wasn't really happening. This wasn't real._

_Sasuke screamed. He screamed and he cannot remember if he ever stopped. _

_**There you have it guys! Another chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and don't y'all worry I'm looking out for y'all and I'm trying to deliver on all my promises. Keep reading and hold out a little longer. I hope this chapter was enough for you guys this week and YES there will be an update next week as well. I told y'all, I'm back and I'm not stopping until this story is a wrap! SO DON'T EVEN WORRY! I GOT THIS! HAVE A GREAT WEEK GUYS! **_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	67. Chapter 67

_**WELCOME! PLEASE, READ AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Seven]**

Sasuke sighed deeply. He didn't want to wake up. His muscles felt bruised and sore and his joints felt stiff. The back of his head and neck were throbbing and pulsating so badly he didn't think he had what it took to open his eyes. He didn't want to start the day again but he pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes.

The ringing in his ears intensified and he blinked against the white light that blinded him. He was on a bed but he didn't even know how he got there. He held his forehead, blinking the sleep away. His eyes felt heavy and laden and his throat pained him. Against his close lids he could see Sakura dying. He had lost count of how many times he had watched her die. The entire ways damn near possible. He remembered watching his mirror image rape her. Over and over again. His stomach churned and he breathed through his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting.

He tried not to but his hands were shaking and his heart was racing in his chest. He was in a room that was so cramped two people couldn't stand next to each other and stretch their arms out without touching the walls. There was the bed he laid on, a door and that was it. The tiles on the floor were white, the walls and even the ceiling. The light bulb over his head flickered. Blood smears were everywhere, finger claws and scraps like that of a madman. He looked down at his fingernails stained with blood. That was probably him then.

He swung his feet over the bed and pushed himself to his feet. He wanted to see her and that was all he wanted to do today. He didn't want to do anything else except look at her. She needed to breathe. That was the only option he was giving her, that was the only way she had left. She had to live. His eyes watered, his palm slamming into the wall with frustration. He was so tired of doing all this without her. He was so tired of breathing, he was tired of working….he was tired of waking up. If there was one thing that was enough to strangle him and make him not want to live anymore it was the guilt of all the wrongs he had ever done to her and oh, he had done so many.

His entire body shook and for the first time in a long time Sasuke was not ashamed to admit his own weakness. He was not ashamed to unleash the vulnerability that he tried to hide underneath his makeshift armor. He was not ashamed to admit the true weight of all his flaws. He had done her wrong…he had been her very undoing. He pressed his forehead against the wall and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. The tear slipped and he did not try to stop it.

The weight never ceased to press hard against him. It anchored him down under all the water and even though he couldn't breathe he didn't drown either and his lungs burned and strained in pain. The weight of not having her, of all he could have ever done wrong to her pushed him face down into gravel and it was so heavy; the guilt, the pain, the emptiness and his responsibilities they were all just so _heavy. _

He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, his hands balling into fists at the self hate he didn't even realize he had been harboring against himself so strongly for so long. He bit his lips to prevent them from shaking. Three more seconds of weakness and he would be done. Just three.

He needed her.

He needed her.

He could not _live _anymore without her.

He opened his eyes and pulled away from the wall. He cracked his neck, dragged his hands over his face and was ready. He walked to the door and peered into the screen that out looked the hallway. What had made them really lock him in here? The door had no handle from the inside and if he couldn't get out in madness, he didn't think he wanted to try it sane. His knuckles rapped slowly on the glass window pane.

He stared and knocked again. Moments later a head peered through the opposite side at him. It was Violet. She squinted, looking at him with uncertainty.

"May I come out?" Sasuke asked, his voice was gritty and cracked- he must have been screaming or something

She pointed to her ears and gestured that she could not hear him. He blinked slowly and stared at her frankly. She smiled widely. She seemed like a happy girl but Sasuke wasn't in the mood for it. There were some clicks and the door opened.

"You were beautiful." She blurted before Sasuke had even stepped through the door.

"Excuse me?" his eyebrows quirked up.

She flustered. "With the um…your reaction to the connection…how much you love her…it's…"

He held his hand up and shook his head. "That's a touchy topic for me."

She nodded. "Yes yes of course. I need to check you to make sure that you're alright and that there were no permanent effects of the procedure. I'm sorry but it may feel a bit too personal."

He held his arms out. "By all means."

Her hands glowed purple and she touched his face. Her touch was tender and her head rocked from side to side as if she was listening to a lullaby. She was standing extremely close. Her hands trailed down his arm, smoothing around his neck and he felt warm inside. Her hands tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck and felt something almost like a slight piercing through his skin there.

"Do you have anything to tell me?" He inquired a little uncomfortable when she stepped closer.

"All I'm allowed to say is that you are awake." She said simply, her other palm pressed against his chest. "Open your eyes wider please."

"Which is good news?" He asked curiously doing as she was told.

"Exceptionally." She nodded, pulled her hands away and turned.

She said nothing more and Sasuke followed her silently. He looked down at his bare feet. Why was he barefoot?

There were many doors just like his with the glass plate and he could see strange people and creatures through some of the windows. He felt like he was in a mental institution. The white tile and walls, white lights above along with the sterile atmosphere made him feel like he was under observation. He began to feel uncomfortable where he was. She pushed open two double doors.

They were underground and so there wasn't really much of an 'outside'. It was just more tunnels and passageways leading to more tunnels and even more passageways, archways and stairs going up and stairs going down but all concrete and different but still there was no such thing as 'outside' as far as he could tell. No door led to the world above them only to more of what they had created below.

He wasn't sure exactly how long they had been walking. He had become bad with time over these past few months. He couldn't keep track of it like he used to but soon they were walking down passageways that seemed vaguely familiar. She led him down an archway and Sasuke found himself in a living room. Ino was in a couch, a magazine on her face, one hand on her stomach and the other hanging off the edge of the couch, her feet propped on the armrest fast asleep. Naruto was on the counter to the left in the small kitchen, shirtless with his feet swinging aimlessly as Shikamaru stood around the stove, a wooden spoon in hand.

They turned to stare at him and Ino groaned on the couch. Naruto jumped off the counter immediately. There was a scar across his chest – fresh and his hair still seemed wet. His steps were sturdy and strong, his shoulders broad and his skin smooth. More alive.

"You went hunting?" Sasuke asked uncertain.

He nodded and he smiled but his eyes were so very far away. "I took Hinata and Itzel with me. I just got back." he said, blue eyes searching Sasuke's for something.

Immediately Sasuke knew Naruto was lying about something but he couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. He let the lie slide because he was more hungry and desperate for Sakura more than anything else. Sasuke walked over to Shikamaru and peered in the pot with his head scrambled and empty at the same time. He was thinking about everything and nothing as he forced his limbs to move.

"What the hell is that?" Sasuke asked, his face confused.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Fuck if I know what it is. Itzel just told me to watch it. I'm not quite sure what it's supposed to be."

"There wouldn't happen to be any souls lying around here would there?" he asked, his body empty, pained and hungry.

God he was hungry beyond belief. Shikamaru tilted his head to the fridge and Sasuke tried not to blow down. More food from thermoses, he was living the dream. He pulled the fridge open and found out that he had been locked in that room for almost ten hours and he had been asleep for two straight days.

No one had any news to give him about Sakura and that was his one and only concern. He raised his eyebrow at Naruto who took a deep breath. Neji wasn't around for Sasuke to ask him anything though he would know more than the others.

"You're the only one who is allowed to see her besides Orochimaru so we don't know what is going on."

He nodded. "I might as well go find out."

"Right now?" Shikamaru inquired staring at him. "Sasuke you need to eat, take a damn shower or something. You just got here. Jesus you don't even have on any shoes."

He shrugged. "I've been worse." He muttered and that was the truth he had been. "Where is Neji?"

Shikamaru put the spoon down and rested his tailbone on the edge of the counter next to the stove. "He's been exhausted. He's with Hinata right now."

Sasuke nodded. He knew there was something they weren't telling him but he knew it was trouble so he refused to ask. If they didn't tell him then that meant that they didn't want to worry him and they believed this was something they could handle on their own. He would let them.

He ate what was in the thermos without complaining. It didn't full him but he didn't feel like he was going to die anymore and that was enough. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second before nodding and following Naruto out and to where they were staying. He pushed the door to his 'room' open and grabbed his duffle bag and headed into the bathroom.

Sasuke felt like a robot that was unable to notice anything around him. He took a fire hot shower, water running down his head to his toes warming his body but barely warming it enough. He towel dried his hair and put on his basket ball shorts and a white v-neck tshirt. He could have found shoes but he was already barefoot so he just rolled with it.

He set out in search for Sakura mostly by memory retracing his steps until he was back in familiar places. It didn't take him as long as he thought it would have to find the room and when he walked in he came to a halt. Orochimaru was in a while lab coat, gloves and a dust mask over his face, lab glasses on his head. He was writing on a clip board as he looked down at Sakura.

She was still on the slab but glass covered her, as if she was in a glass coffin. Sasuke walked over to see her, clear liquid like water flowing over her body. Every inch of her body had wires attached or tubes going into her which seemed to disappear in the slab. Her eyes were closed, palms against her chest and she looked fast asleep even with the breathing tube over her face.

"I am just about through with her." Orochimaru looked at him. "I understand you are not at your best Sasuke but things will be happening soon."

"Is she going to live?"

"She is not dead." Was all he said dropping his hands to his sides. He titled his head. "You are awake now so I expect something will happen very soon. What exactly will be happening I can't say for sure but it was expected you would wake from this faster than she would be able to considering the factors in play here. Her body is alive and so are the souls inside of her."

"What did you do to me?" Sasuke said unable to get the nightmares out of his head.

Orochimaru looked at him for a long time as if debating if he should answer. "I do not think you would like to know what we have done to you or what we were forced to do with her." he said heading out. "Stay with her. I'm sure you would like to just sit here."

Sasuke pulled up a chair and sat down, his palms pressed against the glass that now covered her, placing her in a world away from him. He did not know how long he sat there just watching her; longing for her. Sitting there he could not bring himself to leave even though he knew something was happening with his Knights that he should know about.

His forehead rested against the glass and tried to feel her- to feel that connection that they once had. To feel that connection that still pushed him toward her even though the thread tying them was gone. There was only peace and quiet around them, just the two of them isolated from the outside world and from each other.

"The first time I met you that night I thought you would ruin my life. I thought you would destroy me and unwind me completely that I hated you. I thought you would use the power you had over me against me; I thought you would take my pride away from me and make me bow down before you. It had never seemed stupid at the time for me to think that…that…that pull you had over me, drawing me to you no matter how hard I tried to stay away I couldn't like a moth to a flame." He took a deep breath shaky. "But I am the one who has destroyed you Sakura…I am the one who took everything from you."

Punishing silence was the only thing that greeted him and that was okay this time around because he didn't think he would have been able to withstand anything she would have had to say to him if she heard him. It wasn't that he even had to always to stay with her; it wasn't that he was supposed to stay with her because he said he would but he knew it was that he left her like she was absolutely nothing. He left her like he had left Tami; he did to her the way he would do any other girl after he took everything she could have ever had to offer him. That weight pressed down harder on him.

His eyes were watching the motion of the liquid over her body when the doors burst open. He didn't even move. He didn't want to. He couldn't be bothered.

"Sasuke!" the voice shouted, it was Naruto.

At the sound of his voice Sasuke sat up instantly and came out of the chair, his hand resting on the top of the glass that covered Sakura's sleeping body. He faced Naruto. Something was wrong. Of course something was wrong. When was anything actually ever okay? It had been too long without any action anyway.

"What's going on?" He asked instantly, rubbing the calmness from his eyes and his body.

"It's Hinata," he said urgently.

Sasuke's body seemed to jostle awake and they started sprinting. Sasuke didn't even have to ask, he knew what that meant. Whatever they had going on, they could no longer do it on their own and they needed his help now. He didn't think this would happen, he trusted them but there were some things they had to do as a team and dealing with Hinata was one of those things.

His work at the Pentitantum Investigative Compound had taught Sasuke more than he had ever wanted to learn. Made him do more than he had ever wanted to do with those women but now it came in handy- he knew how to handle Hinata. He would know how to handle her in this last phase better than anyone else.

He wasn't ready for this but he didn't have any choice. There was total chaos when they burst through the doors. You would think that after doing this for so many months everyone would at least know how to handle Hinata. They were usually their wildest when the change was being completed, strong and erratic and in doors was the worst place for this to happen.

Hinata was twisting and turning about the room, knocking things over and screaming. When she wasn't screaming, she was blowing fire from her mouth and nose, her hands and feet were flaming red and her skin was the hue of lavender and almost completely covered in scales. Her features were already changing, he could see it. Everyone was afraid to go near her being the temperamental thing that she was. No, not afraid to go near her. They were weak. They did not want to hurt her.

Neji cut a lethal glance at Naruto. "Why did you go get him?" he demanded.

"We have to do something!" Naruto objected.

"What, afraid to hurt her?" Sasuke asked coldly looking at Neji. Neji looked away and rolled his eyes. "Good he thing called me then because I'm not." he said walking over to Hinata.

Sasuke had no problem hurting anyone or anything. If Neji couldn't do it then he would do it for him.

"Hinata," Sasuke said sternly but she was erratic and gone, her body overwhelmed with everything that was happening to her.

Wild reptilian eyes with slits for pupils look back at him. Her teeth were sharp and dangerous. Hinata growled and lounged at him. Sasuke groaned mentally and dodged but Hinata was fast, far faster than he anticipated and her fist collided with his shoulder. Sasuke's body slammed into the adjacent wall and air knocked out of him. Hinata had a vendetta against him because of Sakura that he knew.

Her eyes zeroed in on him and she came again. Sasuke gripped his shoulder and winced before ducking. He was behind her quickly, his knee hitting her in her spine before slamming her body into the ground. He bent down and grabbed her by the shoulders. Her hands, nails long and sharp clawed at his arms. She was stronger but not strong enough yet.

"Where is Shika?" Sasuke asked casually looking up at Naruto.

He would not look at Neji and he would not acknowledge the pained look he was sure to be on his face because Sasuke could not comfort him. He could only do for Neji what he was not brave enough to do for himself and that was lay his hands on Hinata like this.

"He's with Ino," Naruto said, "she couldn't handle being around this, it started driving her crazy."

He looked down at Hinata and hissed. He leveled his eyes to hers. "Hinata I know you can hear me and I know that this pain is unbearable but don't make me hurt you. Stay still."

The thing about this was that Hinata had no control over herself or over these animalistic tremors she was going through. She couldn't stop it even if she wanted to and it was bound to get worse. This transformation had to run to completion.

"How long ago has this been going on?" Sasuke demanded.

Hinata arm came up and into Sasuke's gut, hitting his hard abs so hard he gritted his teeth and his nostrils flared. Hinata did not let go, her nails twisted into his skin, piercing it like a blade. Sasuke stifled the groan.

"A while. It's just she's not moving from this stage, it's getting worse but she isn't progressing Sasuke." Naruto said looking worried. "She's just stuck as if the transformation isn't going to complete."

He nodded. "We need to get her outside." He glanced down at her, mentally apologized to Neji and let his knee connect painfully into Hinata's side.

She screamed a very human scream but Sasuke didn't wait, flipping Hinata on her stomach to bind her hands behind her. This wasn't something they could stop. They couldn't stop it they just had to let her ride it out and they had to let her transform but as long as she was underground she was only going to be in pain. Holding her arms and grabbing a wad of her hair, Sasuke all but hauled her aggressively to her feet. She huffed and she puffed but Sasuke was stronger than her.

"The nearest way out." Sasuke ordered pushing Hinata in front of him.

By the time they reached the exit Sasuke was exhausted. It was dark where they came up through the earth, the outside world warm and humid. His heart wouldn't stop racing. Everyone else was afraid to touch her or to hurt her now so Sasuke found himself shouting orders more than before either of them moved. Holding Hinata down he couldn't help with making the circle and it took Neji and Naruto twice as long. Sasuke all but threw Hinata in there the second they were done. He pressed his hot palm against the circle and stepped back.

She was going to be a big one, Sasuke could tell already. Just by watching her now and the struggle between the animal inside of her and who she was, he could see that she was going to be a large dragon. Sasuke backed away from her. This wasn't the Pentitantum and there were not tests for him to run, there was nothing for him to find out, there was no torture he needed to do. All he could do was watch it unfold before him. He could hear her bones snapping, the fire like a furnace burning deep inside of her chest. It started happening, one thing after a next. Her cries were blood curdling. It would be this painful transforming for her for a while.

Sasuke rested his hand on Neji's shoulder. His face was pained but so was Naruto's. There was very little he could do to comfort them, they just had to wait.

"Sasuke!" A voice barked and he whipped around.

All the color drained from his face when he saw Itzel, the look in her eyes frightened and wild.

"Go," Naruto and Neji said immediately.

He was already running behind Itzel through the halls and corridors. She was fast as she moved and he skidded to a halt in the room, his hands gripping the door frame to steady himself. She was twisting and turning in the liquid, her entire skin so pale it was almost transparent. She was twitching and even though Itzel tried to stop him, he made his way over to her. He felt like he was wading through viscous liquid, his feet weighing a thousand pounds. His palm pressed against the glass and Sakura's eyes shot open, Sasuke jumped back.

Her hand…. _Her _hand pressed against the sides of the glass as if she was trying to climb through to him. _Her _hands, her eyes stared back at him but the glass top shattered, water and glass going everywhere. Her body rolled over, gasping and hit the floor. Sasuke hadn't even seen Orochimaru but he appeared as if from thin air with Violet next to him. Sasuke stood there frozen. All he could do was stand still.

They seemed prepared for this. Orochimaru grabbed Sakura's body from the floor and quickly placed her back on the wet slab. Blood pooled at her stomach like a gunshot wound and he could see more blood blotches coming up all over her skin. There was ringing in his ears, he couldn't understand what was happening. The splotches grew incredulously in size as if from internal bleeding.

Violet's hands were wide apart, something purple and thin like thread coming from them. She leaned over Sakura, her eyes focus and began chanting. A sinking feeling came in Sasuke's stomach as he watched the flicker throughout her body, her hair changing from all the colors possible, her flesh cracking a decaying at a rate so fast he couldn't keep up with it.

He stumbled back. No. he couldn't watch this but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. He wanted to scream and cry at the same time but all he could do was stumble away until his body was pressed against the wall to sturdy him. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't do this.

Orochimaru already had a sharp object at Sakura's throat, making small slits around it. Blood did not come out from her neck but rather something like looked oddly like mercury- far too metallic to be anything else. The thread like matter that had formed from Violets hands; she began wrapping them around Sakura's body, her mouth moving quickly with insane precision.

The color of Violets hair began to dim as she chanted, her voice getting louder by the second, her palm now against Sakura's chest and then Sasuke could hear it. The beating of a heart so loud and amplified the walls were shaking. It didn't even sound like it could be a heart; he could feel it through his skin and bones. Sakura's body went rigid and both Violet and Orochimaru jumped back. Violets hair was so dull now it was almost light pink; her eyes with rings in them looked exhausted.

Sasuke watched as Sakura's body cracked open like an egg, from head to her toe but before he could even register what he saw he was drowned in white light, the ringing so loud his ears began to bleed.

He fell to his knees and the earth rumbled, trembled and shook beneath him. His hands flew to his ears, desperate to quell the sound but it couldn't. The vibrations didn't stop, the light so blinding and so bright he thought he would never see again. He could hear everything shattering, glass breaking and things snapping. It was almost like an explosion but the sounds at a frequency too high to even be real he didn't understand how he was even hearing it. Then as quick as it came, there was nothing.

Sasuke dropped his hands slowly, rising from his crouch on the floor. For a long time he couldn't see anything and he didn't think he wanted to. He was scared to death to see what was no around him. He sank to his knees, his entire body shaking. Down to the slab was shattered in the room. When he could see Sakura's body was no where around them.

"What did you do?" Sasuke asked dazed.

Violet had cuts on her arms and legs from the shattering of all the glass around them. "We opened the portal between consciousnesses for everything inside her body. We had to choose between saving this girl you love and our God. We have chosen our God and the only way to do that was to give Her the opportunity to leave your girlfriends body."

It was just a light, almost like a star hovering in the middle of the room. He crawled backwards unable to wrap his mind around everything that was happening. The ringing sound came back again but not as loud and he watched the light turn into a blob as big as three men. Sasuke watched it come and vanish, form and reform. What was it? Everyone stared transfixed watching this thing change over and over again until Sasuke could vaguely make out a silhouette. He could see nothing else.

There was no face or even features. He wasn't even sure if he was looking at anything physical the only way to describe it was that it looked like a white shadow. Just an outline of a thing? He blinked. Was he seeing things?

"Let us go outside." A voice rang out throughout the room like ringing bells…like heaven.

Just like that Sasuke was standing outside, the moon high above them. They were all outside, Sasuke and all his Knights and it was much easier to see this very feminine silhouette walk against the darkness. They all seemed confused and looked like they were wondering how they got here. His mind was reeling. The awe came down on him like never before and a kind of calmness he did not know it was still possible for him to feel.

The Kavazwalian tongue ripped from the figure. "This is the most I can manifest myself to you all standing before me and for that I must apologize. As it stands there are many wounds I must heal here as there are millennia of scars I must begin to rub away from my children; from you my sons and from my daughters."

It was almost simultaneous. There was no question, there was no doubt- Sasuke went down on his knees before her, his head down. He was shaking and he could not stop it. This wasn't happening….this couldn't be real….this couldn-

"Sasuke," his name sounded like a blow of stardust. It was faint but he could feel the palm against his cheek. His head rose. "Sasuke my son I know the ache I have caused you and I know the loss that have spawned in the pits of your stomach because of all that you have been forced to do. I have been lost, I have been wondering without my own knowledge, lodged in the bodies and souls of others, passing from one to another. '_When the sun comes to rest, shadows shall awaken from the darkest chest and reveal complexity of ice from another, adjoining power to power and losing the life of one that shall fuse with heaven up under the night and the chest of darkness will come to light.' _The prophecy has been fulfilled here tonight under this silver moon. You all have found me. Your knights have found me. Sakura has found me and for that, I am forever grateful. I have done many things wrong here and there are things it will take near forever to fix."

He looked away with his heart sunken in his chest. He had never been so humbled. "I do…I don't…"

"You do not understand." She acknowledged. "There is much you all with not understand. I am sure there have been stories, weaved and warped that must have been told to you what has happened to me. A Goddess that abandoned her own creation and forsaken her children. A cruel and wretched God that locked out the loves of her lives. I did not leave any of you willingly, I was not gone willingly, I was not lost and roaming willingly…" he could see the silver streaks of tears. She pulled away.

She stood before all of them only half physical. How she was able to be conscious right now Sasuke did not know. He did not know how to think anymore, as a matter of fact Sasuke was so overcome that he did not even know how to breathe. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack and die. His mind was blank but at the same time, it was telling him that there was no way he was down on both knees in front of the being that made him even remotely possible to come into existence. He was in the presence of a God…of _his God. _

"I do not have much time left here or I will shatter once more and I must bring **Rugonshi home with me**. All of you have been forgiven. You have done the impossible."

He watched as the figure went before all of them kneeling on the floor, even Ino before she stood. The silhouette was already fading and was becoming more transparent. Hinata was crying as she knelt there, her body full of red blisters and scars from the transformation. Her scales had burnt her which was something that happens but when **Asanephpa **touched her calm came over her and it was like she was never even in pain. Her hands brushed over Hinata's hair in a kind of affection and adoration Sasuke didn't think anyone else could ever possess besides Her.

This still didn't make any sense to him. None of this. He couldn't wrap his mind around what was happening. How could he? How could he even begin to understand or comprehend what was happening right now? How could anyone? How could anyone comprehend standing face to face with their God? How could anyone, immortal or mortal perceive such a thing? He couldn't and he knew he wasn't the only one.

"The journey…is over. I am not gone. Pray." He watched as She faded until where the silhouette was had completely vanished in a beam of white light. There were two bodies in its position.

Sasuke pushed himself to his feet, heavier than lead. He could barely stand with how badly he was shaking. The bodies shot up at the same time, gasping and breathing. One was Sakura; there was no mistaking her even with the silver streaks through her hair. She was panicking, slapping away at everything and wheezing with a start. The other girl had long green hair with aquamarine at the tips and neon green and pink eyes. She looked as if she could have been Sakura's… Kimurimochi?

He couldn't move. No matter how badly he wanted to Sasuke could not bring himself to move. He couldn't move closer to her, the idea of rejection scaring the hell out of him. He didn't think he would ever see her again, never thought it was even possible. Ino was already beside her, crying and pulling Sakura to her feet. She was in something like a nightgown, her hair pinker and longer than he had ever remembered. She looked around, almost frantic and then their eyes locked.

She screamed a high shrill, an animalistic cry as if she did not know how to speak, primal and desperate. Her body seemed to collide into his in seconds. Her legs wrapped around him, her arms around his neck, her head buried in the crook of his neck as the sobs wrecked her body. Sasuke felt himself fall apart. She was here. _Sakura was here._

_**There you have it! Another chapter as promised! I know it's been a long time coming but I told you guys I GOT you guys, I got you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know a lot of you are relieved to finally have her back and I'm going to be honest, I had never planned to have her gone this long but I hope you're all calm now that she has returned! HAVE AN AMAZING WEEKEND GUYS!**_

_**Loving You Always, **_

_**D.V**_


	68. Chapter 68

_**WELCOME! PLEASE, READ AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Eight]**

My hands were trembling and I quickly stepped through my door, closing it behind me before sinking to my knees on the floor. The scream clawed its way up and through my throat but I can't bring myself to let any of it out. There was no way I could let that sound leave me so instead I clamp my hands over my mouth to keep it in. I feel like an animal- caged, sickly, delirious and desperate.

My hands wind around my throat grabbing it with so much cruelty and viciousness another person could never understand how or why I would ever be propelled to do such a thing to myself but I was desperate. I was desperate in a way I have never been before. The tears beat their way out my eyes and down my face, they came so fast they started sinking into the carpet. My body thrust forward the sob shaking my entire being and I bent, wounded. My hands gripped the carpet so hard I felt like I was going to rub off my finger tips in the process. Everything burned me from the muscles in my toes to the cavity in my stomach. My body shook with the sobs that came down on me and my own weakness.

The thing about this was that I wasn't angry. I don't know why but I wasn't angry- not even at Sasuke. I wasn't angry at anybody; I was just so full of everything and nothing at the same time. My body –my skin- just didn't quite fit me and wear well on me anymore and I wanted to tear myself out of it. Having so many people walk around and take over this vapid body, it just didn't feel like mine anymore. This skin didn't really belong to me and unlike everybody else; I couldn't get out of it.

My nails scratched into my skin almost tearing at it. I wanted out. I wanted out of it. Even my scars were gone. It was never my priority to have perfect skin, it wasn't my regret anymore that I was so full of scars but they told so many of my stories, they made up so much of who I was that I felt naked without them. Maybe back then I couldn't see past them but I am different now, I am more or less of myself… I am not human anymore.

I knew what Asanephpa had done to me once I was put back together again. She drew me in and all that pain- God there was so much pain there was no way I could ever come from that the same person I couldn't even remember the kind of girl I was before this point or how I was even like that. I had been remade in this unbelievable kind of way. It was a way that was nothing like me, not even a stain to say I had owned this life or this body before this moment. I had been remade into something better –I think I have no way of knowing- and more perfect –in some ways- because a part of me had wanted that. I just didn't fit and I couldn't make myself fit.

I wasn't angry but I felt like I was something much worse and that I was experiencing something far more deadly than rage. Had I wanted to come back here, to this world where everything had been unpleasant to me? I cannot remember what I had wanted, I can't remember if I should hate coming back or be glad about it. I had never wanted to die but the feeling wouldn't leave me, it sat deep in my body like salt deep in wounds and I wanted to rip the flesh from my bones and become nothing but dirt again.

I covered my mouth and rocked on my knees unable to hold it in. I was unable to hold anything in for long. It all came crashing into me over and over again. Who was I now? I heaved in a deep breath and struggled to my bed. I was confused and I'm sure they could all understand why to some extent. "Oh Sakura has been through so much, I know she must be tired." "I can't imagine going through something so terrible. She's so strong." "You don't know what she's been through." They all latched on to me with this sympathy on their face as if they could really understand the magnitude even though they knew they couldn't. Nobody could. I wasn't trying to make myself feel special and it was the worst thing in the world, there was nobody to understand me. There was nobody in this world that could relate to me or understand the destructive monster this had all turned me into. There wasn't anyone who could understand just how much this entire thing had fucked me up.

I took a deep breath. I had to calm down they would all notice immediately that I was gone now especially Kimurimochi. Maybe she had the most understanding since she had been through this with me but she wasn't about to baby me anymore. She knew who I was or am or…whatever. My hands were shaking as I knotted and unknotted them in my lap on the bed. Anxiety.

Truth was, and I had to at least admit this to myself, out of everything that could possibly scare me…he scared me the most. I loved him probably even harder than I did before all hell broke loose and everything turned into a bloody uncommunicated mess. I loved him and those were words I had never even said to him out of my own mouth with my own voice. I never said it all those times I knew I should have and now it felt like I couldn't get the words to him fast enough but after I came back and that crying scene between me and him, I haven't seen him. I wasn't ready. I didn't feel like I could do it. How could I?

We were both all raw and tethered. I was in love with the Sasuke he was before this happened to us as he was in love with the Sakura I was before this happened to me. We weren't the same people anymore; I could feel it down inside of chest. How long could he do this? How long could I do this? This girl now was a stranger to me and I didn't know how he would receive me now. Look how I was struggling to receive myself as it is.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and my door opened without even a knock and closed. Kimurimochi locked it. I knew she would come find me sooner or later once I was gone long enough. Everyone else probably thought I needed some time alone, time to rest and get myself together but I knew her. I knew Kim like the back of my hand; she was through with the stage of babying me. When I first came to Kanoha and even before that all she had ever done was baby me, try to protect me and heal me but I knew now that when I came back she decided that I didn't need it anymore. I could not thank her enough for that.

It was strange not having her in my head anymore as I knew it was strange for her no longer being there. I smiled at her gratefully. She smiled weakly and sat next to me and for a while we just sat there together, our arms and legs touching. I didn't really know what to say right now with all I had going on for me.

"Why are you here alone when you could be with Sasuke?" She asked getting straight to the point.

I knotted my fingers together. There were so many reasons why I wasn't with him right now that it was hard to really choose one. I still wasn't ready, I didn't know who to be or how to act, there was so many things left unsaid between us, I had so many things I needed to tell him that even I didn't fully understand, I was scared…I don't even know. My heart constricted so painfully just at the thought of him. I missed him…I missed him the way you missed your children when they die before you, the way you miss the lover your mourned and would never have the chance to love again.

"I just need a second to myself right now." But I knew the moment I said it that my response to her wasn't going to be good enough. I knew her too well.

Her arms folded. "To do what? Sit and cry here and be overwhelmed with at this all alone?"

I chewed the insides of my jaw. "Yeah well he's busy right now anyway. He has been since I got back." Another lame excuse, I didn't even know where I was coming up with these from.

She scowled almost. "I know what you're doing and I came in here to firmly let you know that I will not allow you to do it." She said matter of factly. "I know it's just been a day but considering everything I think that's long enough. First things first, when are you even going to tell him?"

I knew she could see right through me. There was no way we could have been together so long and she couldn't see through what I was doing. It had just been a day anyway, why did I have to say anything? It wasn't like after that night and an hour of holding each other I had seen him since. Yeah it was my fault why I hadn't but oh well that didn't change the fact that we hadn't spent any time together. Why did the first thing I do or say have to be about all the confusing things right now going on with me?

I sighed and fell back on his bed. "Obviously Kim I don't know how. What would I even say? 'Hey your Goddess is giving me this sweet deal to become a prophet for her oh and did I mention I am the first breed of a new kind of Achite that is made to breed with your kind and I've missed you'?" I snapped.

She didn't take the bait. She had more patience with me than she did with anyone else. Instead she lay down on the bed next to me staring at the ceiling. She sighed heavily like she was thinking.

"Well why not just say that?" She inquired. "Fact of the matter is there is no easy way to say what you have to say to be honest."

"I don't even understand what this all means."

"You're surrounded by Kavazwalians Sakura; you have been since the day you were born. We can all help you with what you don't understand and this isn't anything that you couldn't figure out with time. It isn't like She said you had to take Her offer, you don't. You can always refuse. You don't have to become a Kavazwalian prophet, you don't have to become a Kavazwalian and you don't have to be an Achite. You can stay human but I can't imagine after being drawn into this world why you would ever want to do that. You don't fit in with them and as far as I am concerned, you have never been one of them."

I rolled over and buried my face into the pillow. It had been gnawing at me for the longest while now since I came back. The streaks in my hair couldn't nor would it come out. I wanted to talk to him about this, I wanted to more than anything just to be with him and around him and feel his skin pressed against my skin. I didn't know how to say it. I didn't know how to do it either; I didn't know how to face him. How could I face him? How could he even face me?

"I know that I don't have to…I'm not saying I am thinking about saying no to Her. I am not." Well not really. "She is a Goddess and everything, it's not like anyone else is getting the chance that She is giving me."

"You miss him Sakura and you need him. You know it more than anyone else and he needs you too. Regardless of who you are or who you have become, there is no part of you that he is unable to love. There isn't any part inside of him that is able to hate you either."

"You don't know that. He doesn't know what I am." I sighed. "Neither do I."

There was this thing inside of me. It was quite rage and it wasn't quite the desire for war but it was a hurricane stronger than anything else. It was whipping harsh winds down deep in my belly and I felt dangerous and so annihilative it was like I could defeat anything around me. It was somewhere and just being conscious of it terrified me. Even I was afraid of the girl whose body I woke up in. There was something bloodthirsty there; something hungry and uncontrollable; something wild. It was like a side of me that was blown wide open after everything and it would possess me- the darkness that had stirred would take over my mind and I would destroy everything like a child in a tantrum. I didn't want to feel like that. I didn't want to be that person but I couldn't quite tame it I needed more time. I needed so much more time.

"Have you seen those eyes of his? Since you have been gone he has done some terrible things, things nobody should ever do and he's become more of a monster than you remember. I can see it every time I look at him and he's not even mine and I know you see it too and you love him anyways. You think he's going to walk away when he realizes he doesn't have to protect you anymore?"

"I never said I didn't know that." I mumbled to her before groaning in frustration. "It's just I don't know who I am right now. I haven't had this body in what feels like forever, I am not human but I'm not Kavazwalian, this is more about me than it is about him. I am not afraid of who he is Kim, I am afraid of who I am. I do not know."

Kimurimochi took my hand affectionately. It was different now that we could touch each other. It felt more real this way that she was now here physically to loan her strength to me when I needed it. I felt truly that she was my sister and that I wasn't crazy talking to her all this time.

"Stop that. You're not supposed to be doing anything. Honestly I know it's not the same. I hardly even fit into this body it's like an itch that I can't scratch and a seam I can't fix. It's uncomfortable but at the same time, it's mine. Secrets aren't going to help your relationship and neither will any fear you have and avoiding him. You're not afraid of anything anymore so stop telling yourself that you are." She pushed herself to her feet.

She was right of course, as she usually was. I stared at her and smiled widely. "You're not that ugly." I teased.

She laughed. "Not that pretty either," she grinned holding out her hand. "Come on you can do this. All of this. You know you can and if you feel like you can't, then we'll do it together. You're dying to see him and I get it, you need time but don't let fear be the reason for that."

I didn't hesitate to take her hand and she pulled me from the bed. "Where are you taking me?"

"Food. You haven't eaten anything and you need to. Don't worry the boys are gone right now, meeting and whatnot so you don't have to worry about them." I noticed the look on her face at the mention of them.

I immediately jumped on the chance to change the subject and take it from me. "What happened between you and Naruto?" I asked curiously.

She groaned but I could her lips tugging upwards in a smile. I knew she liked him from the moment she met him in person and I strongly believed that she liked him from way before that when she was in my head and I just met him. Of course she wouldn't admit that or anything. Naruto wasn't someone easy to dislike, it was almost impossible to hate him and out of everyone, I knew Kim hated him the least if anything.

"I can't even fucking hide it." She said sighing. "I like him, everybody fucking knows it and I like him and it's not like I can use having your body anymore as an excuse not to even give him a chance and it's not like he doesn't already know I'm fucking crazy."

"Must you curse so much?" I demanded.

She stared at me dumbfounded. "Could you not be a grandma right now and lecture me about my language? I'm trying to accurately express myself here Sakura."

I laughed and held my hands up in surrender. "Right sorry. So what's the problem exactly? You're making this seem like it might be a chore."

"Naruto isn't a chore I'd never even call him that. It's just that I've never liked someone in, listen you wouldn't even be able to comprehend how long it's been even if I told you. I don't want to get into anything I can't deal with and he's been around the bender recently as far as I can tell, his heart is so bruised and I wouldn't classify myself as the most sympathetic and compassionately intimate person to properly…you know? Anyway, you think you're new to this? You've had a man long before me."

"Oh so he's boyfriend material?"

She slapped me on the arm and I laughed at her. "I'm not afraid so you shouldn't be." I said as we entered an archway to where this Itzel girl –who apparently seemed to have some ill feelings towards me though I couldn't tell why- had laid out breakfast before I went running and screaming metaphorically back to my room.

Hinata was sitting around a table picking at the food in front of her with her legs crossed on the chair. She looked up at the sight of them and smiled a real ghost of a smile. Kimurimochi said nothing and I remembered that they weren't her friends and now, only partly mine.

"You've been crying?" Hinata asked quietly.

Her hair was brushed back and caught in a high ponytail with a rose tacked in her hair. It was refreshing seeing all of her face and that hair brushed back. Her hair was long and beautifully dark against her light skin. Her face though was the only smooth part of her body. The rest of skin had scale marks as if they had been burnt into her skin. It was the transformation and to me it looked brutally painful and uncomfortable.

"You look beautiful with your hair like that." I complimented her ignoring her question.

She laughed with uncertainty. "Thanks." She shrugged then and leaned back in her chair.

"Where's Ino?" I inquired picking around the assorted things laid out on the table that were miraculously still warm. I took two pancakes, a few slices of bacon and orange juice. Ino and I were so broken I shook my head; a lot of things were broken here.

"She's gone to the bathroom or something, I'm not really sure. It's just me here right now."

I sat down across from her and took her hand across the table. I held on tightly. "What's wrong?" I asked softly. "You haven't even touched your food."

She smiled. "It's really nothing Sakura; you don't have to worry yourself about it. You haven't eaten either."

"Yeah well I'm about to and you need to eat just as much as I do." I said before sipping my orange juice. I saw Kim slipping through the archway and out of the room from the corners of my eyes but I pretended like I didn't.

From what I remembered Hinata wasn't really the kind of person to rely emotionally much on others. She was usually well composed despite whatever hell was raging in her even if they were from visions. It was strange to see her down like this openly. It was something weighing more on her heart than just her emotions. I didn't know her very well, at this point I didn't know anyone very well but I could tell something was wrong. It would be a relief to talk about something and someone else besides myself.

"I'm not that hungry." She said honestly. "That happens."

I bit my cheeks. Was I really going to play the pity card here at this table right now to get her to talk? "Hinata I could really use talking about someone else right now. Honestly I just want to forget about me and what I have going on; it would be a huge relief. I need a break even if it's small." Apparently I was playing that card today hopefully it wasn't too soon.

Her brows knitted together. "I mean are you sure? It's okay you know if you need some time, I can go."

I held on to her tighter. "No, please don't go. Just talk to me. Pretend I'm not even here if that's what you want to do." I insisted.

Her shoulders slumped. "Ino didn't actually go to the bathroom I just had to run her so she would leave and I could let my hair down and let my emotions rampage without having to worry about her. The last time I did that she ran screaming out a building and I didn't want to do that to her again even though she's gotten a lot better with handling these situations." She explained looking down at her food.

"Which is completely understandable there isn't anything wrong with that." I assured her.

She nodded. "I don't even know where to start. It's mostly the transformation on my mind. I didn't think it would have been as terrible as it was and I'm just paranoid and antsy for when it's going to happen again. There isn't any way for me to control it just yet so it can basically happen whenever it wants and that's scared me to death."

"Does your skin hurt?"

She rubbed up her arms automatically. "It doesn't hurt no. Sasuke says it does for some girls after the first change but it doesn't bother me. It looks….weird but that's about it. I think She took the pain away."

I started drowning my pancake in syrup because why the hell not. "I'm sure turning into a dragon and going through the stages of Sasuke's soul that I went through isn't the same thing but I digress that, they must be similar. I didn't know when they were going to happen to me either and I didn't know how long it would last for or even what would happen to me. I was scared; you know it's one of those things you pray day in and day out never happens again even though you already know it will. The wait stretched for weeks and I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat it was like this dreadful suspense kind of thing. Especially after we broke up, I knew it was going to be horrible and I didn't know how to breathe because I was afraid."

Hinata sucked in a breath almost like she had forgotten that I had been through that or that they'd torn my chest open and she and her brother had stood there and held me down while it happened. After Sasuke and I left I had realized that people don't always see you as a person sometimes and for her, that had been one of those times. I could resent her but I wouldn't. I didn't want her to feel like she was alone here and that nobody could even remotely relate to her. I didn't want her to feel like how I felt because it was maddening to feel like you were burning in hell fire all alone.

"That must have been hard for you." She whispered her eyes soft as if I was asking for her pity and as if I was making this about me.

I laughed but it was dry and almost carnal. I laughed even harder and I wasn't sure why I found that so funny. They tried so hard it was sweet and hilarious as I sat there. I smiled kindly at her. I did not want her pity- I did not want anyone's pity because there was nobody with a heart soft enough to understand the magnitude of all I had been through to even begin to outstretch accurate amount sympathy. That wasn't possible and well, that was alright.

"It's okay Hinata, you don't have to try and sympathize with me I know you can't really compile it all and then grasp the magnitude. This isn't about me either but what I'm saying is just like I was, you can be afraid, I'd be scared too. You just can't let it immobilize you, you can't let it pin you one place or make you reluctant to do anything. You don't know when it's going to happen again so just do what you want and live how you want. Don't sit around waiting it'll drive you crazy. Do not let this define you in a way that makes you weak. At least it will get better and you will control this, it won't always be this way."

"I know that and I'm trying but it's just not easy for me right now after what happened. It was so recent." She said almost too defensively. I raised my eyebrow calmly at her but I said nothing. "What did Sasuke think?" she fumbled flushing.

I tried not to react to the sound of his name coming from someone else's mouth and instead started eating my pancakes. Every cell in this loose and unfitting body wanted to be with him, I wanted to see him and press myself against him. I wanted to feel his strong, secure arms around me. I wanted to feel him hold me and anchor me down the way he always did because I felt like I was being destroyed by waves and tossed around and about. I wanted to be a part of him the way he used to be a part of me but like Hinata's fear, mine was holding me down like nails in floorboards. I was still too afraid.

"He was…more worried about it than I was." I answered honestly. "He was really anxious and tense about it; I had to be the one to calm him down. Is Neji worried?"

She nodded. "Not so much worried as he is afraid. I mean, when they're dealing with the others that were changing, it's always a brutal method to handling them because we don't have any control and he isn't comfortable with hurting me."

I said it before I could even think. "I'm sure Sasuke has no problem taking his place then and doing it for him. He wouldn't force Neji to do it."

"Naruto didn't like helping either." She said softly looking down.

There was something in her tone at the mention of his name that I didn't quite catch but I noticed it. I chewed on some bacon. Hinata and I weren't the closest people in the world. Sure we were friends and she used to talk to me about Naruto but that was about it. This was probably the most personal conversation she'd ever had with me. I felt it was something she didn't want to talk about but I decided to pry anyway because I could tell she needed someone to listen to her.

"I would be surprised if he was." I said to her. "How are you with this anyway?"

I figured that was another one of those things that were weighing her down now. Kim wasn't in my body anymore and she didn't look like me. Kim looked like herself with her own body and she wasn't ugly and she was as far as I could tell the affection in Naruto's eyes. She had been since she possessed me but now that she was out and on her own, I already knew where this was going. I could only vaguely understand Hinata's jealously. Kim was the opposite of Hinata and more like Naruto than she would like to admit. Kim was enthusiastic, loud and fierce and unlike Hinata, Kimurimochi did not succumb to fear or shyness. Naruto was getting over her or something but she was still a bit stuck in this sticky situation.

She shrugged but she was trying too hard to be nonchalant about it. "I didn't expect him to be attached to me forever or something. We both have to move on."

I smiled. "But you don't like her?"

Her eyes were hard as she stared back me. She looked at me as if looking at me was the equivalent to looking at Kim. "I never liked her from the moment she was in control of your body. Me not liking her now isn't much of a surprise, she isn't my friend or anything."

I nodded. "Fair enough," I agreed pushing my seat back to go do the impossible- get more food.

I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now with my stomach growling. There were a lot of things to choose from at the table and so I started grabbing more things. I bit into a muffin and groaned in delight. I remembered when I wasn't allowed to eat sweats and baked things like this. Now I wanted to devour them all because I felt like I had nothing to lose. My contribution to society was done- it was time to please myself now.

I swallowed. "What else is bothering you? I know that's not it." I said as I placed eggs on my plate. "What is going on with you and Neji?"

That got her to open up and the words came flooding out of her mouth. "This trip that we've made has caused a lot of problems for where Neji and I are concerned. Our wedding has been pushed back. It's not that I'm upset about that or anything but I've seen the repercussions that will be coming and I'm really scared to face them. I know we're going back soon and I feel like the Day of Judgment is drawing near. It looks like we've probably ran away –which is punishable by death in our clan."

"I know you're not looking forward to getting this started. Is there any way that you could get yourself out of what you think lies ahead? Is there anything Neji could do?"

"He's very high ranked but my father sits on the council his word won't be seen as valid. It's all so complicated that I don't even know where to start."

"And Tenten? What is going to happen to her once this all unfolds? She's Neji's whatever isn't she?"

"His Keeper yes but I mean, with all the Awakenings especially in our women things like structure and roles are a real mess right now. That's why my marriage is so important right now to make a statement and all that we're still organized and under control even though we aren't. With me being a dragon now it isn't like I can take Tenten's place and be Neji's Keeper like one would have thought, I'm going to need one of my own. I don't know. Tenten doesn't want to be involved and I told Neji it was best for us to leave her out of it."

"So Neji and Tenten won't be having any kind of relationship? Is that a good idea doing something like that?"

Hinata shook her head almost sadly. "I don't like the idea of taking away the person he really wants. I know he really wants to be with her but if we bring her into this, it's not going to go well from what I've seen. She has a kid and that's her first and main priority right now. Not to mention she's still human."

"Tenten is going to die? I thought being his Keeper and all that would make her immortal to some extent or something."

Hinata shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have all the answers anymore. Technically if things were going the way they were supposed to, at a certain age she would stop aging probably the same age as Neji but she's already procreated with another mortal person, chaos is happening everywhere, who knows?"

I took back a seat and pointed to her plate. "Eat something you can't just sit there staring at the plate." I responded leaning back in my chair. I brushed some of my hair from my face. She was staring at me intently. "What?"

She shrugged. "I don't know…" she trailed off running her hands over her skin with insecurity. "You're just so different now."

"Yes," I agreed softly my heart skipping beats so fast all of a sudden the idea of eating suddenly made me nauseous. I didn't want to talk about me. I didn't want to think about me more than I already was.

"You're a lot stronger too."

I looked up to match her beautiful eyes and I nodded. "Yes. I am."

_**And there you all have it! Another chapter I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I hope you guys are still with me all the way on this and I hope you loved this chapter! I have exams coming up but I am so DETERMINED to do this guys that I will try my UTMOST BEST to ensure a chapter every week because you guys ALL DESERVE IT!**_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V**_


	69. Chapter 69

_**WELCOME! PLEASE, READ AND ENJOY! **_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Sixty Nine]**

Sasuke sat on his bed tapping his feet against the floor. There was still a lot going on and so much that was still unresolved. They had yet to leave Orochimaru's compound. Hinata wouldn't be able to travel for a few more days and Sasuke had a lot of mess he needed to sort through. Even now he couldn't believe the past few days he'd had. He had met Asanephpa….he had actually met her…or some of her or part of her or… Sasuke shook his head in a sad attempt to try and clear it.

After that whole thing he hadn't seen Sakura since. That was really what was driving him crazy right now, had him biting down to his fingernails. He had many other things that he needed to worry about but it was near impossible to focus. He let out a deep breath and fell back on his bed. She had made it clear she wasn't ready to see him, not even be in the same room with him. He had to respect that, he knew he was lucky that he still had any chance any at all with her or that eventually she would want to see him.

It had been two days and he was a full blown mess. How could he not be after all that happened and the lengths he had gone to just to get her living and breathing again? He hadn't slept either and he kept thinking that he would walk out of his room only to find that she was never really here and he had imagined it all. His heart ached and pained him deep down, his flesh felt like it would fall from his bones and just thinking about her made him tremble. Part of him was relieved that she wasn't ready to see him because he was a nervous wreck. He was nervous at the thought of just being in the same room with her even though he wanted to see her more than he even wanted to breathe. He had spent so much time with her since she got here and there were bats in his stomach now at the sole thought of her name. Thinking about her alone did that to him- made him forget how to breathe or even that he should breathe and made his palms begin to sweat.

He tapped his fingers along the bed. He had to leave everybody and come to his room because his thoughts were raging too hard for conversation. He was restless but he couldn't focus on anything long enough to find anything to do but drive himself into oblivion. He started thinking back on all sorts of things about them, the journey they had been on. He seemed to falter a little. There was a lot of himself he had never shown her. Things she had heard from the mouths of others but couldn't prove because he did not show her those sides of him. He did not show her the murderous sides of him, he did not kill and destroy with her around, he did not deceive and lie and sneak around her, and he did not bring his evil demonic tendencies around her. He was not a monster when Sakura was around, he couldn't bear himself to be that kind of person around her out of fear that she would have left; disgusted.

Once they were no longer together that part of him went rampant. That part of him raged and did a lot of unspeakable things. He had killed more than one Hyuga woman and he had done so much worse. He dragged his hands over his face. They were trembling. Who would be for her now? Who could he be even if she even considered taking him back? He couldn't be anything good, there was really no way. He was never good for her from the very beginning. This wasn't something he could contain enough to hide from her anymore either. He would end up destroying her again and again and again wouldn't he?

He knew she wasn't the same; the change was obvious he could feel it even when she was halls and archways away from him. She was different and maybe she had powers, or maybe she would end up getting some, he wasn't sure. Her eyes were much more luminescent than he remembered and those silver streaks were impossible to miss in her beautiful pink hair. God she was gorgeous, just the sight of her did things to him. He felt obsessed, every inch of him ready to get her and to be as close to her as he could possibly get and never, ever let her go again.

He heard his door open and closed quickly. He shot up and there she was, standing at the closed door, hand still on the knob staring at him. He didn't even breathe. She was breath taking; stunning. She took the living breath right out of his body; he'd never seen a girl capable of being that gorgeous in all his life. Seeing her alone filled him up.

"Hey," Sakura said, a smirk tugging on her lips but he could see her fighting it. She didn't look at him long and her head hung.

He bit his lips to stop it but decided he couldn't and smiled. "Hey," He whispered his voice a little cracked.

There were three clumps of silver streaks in her hair. There was one on each side of her temple and one at the back of her head. She looked beyond beautiful with them, her hair now braided down her spine. She looked down and kicked the air aimless with her foot but she didn't step deeper into the room. He didn't move either. He didn't want to frighten her or do anything that would make their fragile situation any more difficult. The silence was almost unbearable for him and he didn't know how to move through it. He was too afraid himself.

"I just uh…" she laughed under her breath a little and shook her head, "I just needed to kind of get myself together and wrap my head around all that's going on."

"I haven't." he said softly.

She looked up then, tears filling her eyes. "Yeah…me either." She blew out a breath and tried to blink them away.

His movements were agonizingly slow as he rose from the bed. She just stood there, both hands behind her holding on to the door knob and he wondered if it was to prevent herself from running into him again like she had when she first saw him or if it was to ensure that she could leave the second she decided she didn't want to be around him anymore. It was too soon to tell which. The room wasn't large and so there wasn't that much space to cover before he was standing directly in front of her.

They stood there, his body as close to hers as he dared to go, their chests rising and falling. He could feel the warmth coming from her body. His hand cupped her face, his thumb running against her cheek. Her skin felt amazing, rich and alive against his hand. It felt warm and so much like her that he started to feel stripped and bare standing there as if he was going to break apart right in front of her and he would never be able to come together again.

Her face leaned into his touch and he could see her hands trembling. It had been so long. It had been so long since he was this close to her, since he had laid his hands upon her in a way that did not break her. Her eyes closed and the tears fell, silent like a hidden stream deep within the earth.

Her fingers pressed against the hand that held her face, keeping it there. He cupped her face with his other hand too, stepping so close to her she was pressed against the door and there was no more space between them. He pressed his lips against her forehead, kissing her nose and her cheeks. Her hands smoothed around his waist and he enveloped her in his arms. He held on tightly, their bodies pressing so close together he wished they could burn through their clothes, skin, bone and just becoming one thing.

Her fingers grabbed on tightly to the back of his shirt, her head pressed deep into his chest. Her body felt stronger and Sasuke closed his eyes, wrecked from head to toe with the feeling of home. He held her head, pressing her to him and her body was so warm.

She shook her head in his chest. "I know you had to do it." She whispered into his chest. "I know…"

He took a deep breath. "It doesn't change the fact that I did it. It doesn't change what I did to you." She smelt like mint and soap and the underlining of her own scent, one he never thought he would smell again.

"This would have happened to me one way or another. I know you had no choice…I….i know you had to."

He pulled away from her to stare into her eyes. Her eyes- eyes he was still so impossibly in love with. "Sakura I-"

She kissed him. Her hands held on to his face, fingers like gold so slim and slender. It shocked him; it shocked him and he felt like someone was blowing back life into his body. He felt the weights lift off his shoulders, he felt the pain dim in its hurtfulness and he pressed her hard against the door, one hand pressed against the door with the other anchored to her waist pressed into him. His mouth tangled into hers- lips that were cool and like tasting the deepest chasm of goodness.

Her hair brushed against his hand that held on to her and her hands tangled into his dark hair. Her lips hovered above his and he was breathless.

"I don't care." Sakura said. "I don't care what has happened to us because of all this, I am not mad at you and I can't be. I can't be because I have seen everything you have done to save me, to bring me back even when I did not want to be here. I see what loosing me has done to you too; I have seen how it has broken you. You did what you had to do, there was no choice in any of this for me I know that now. I love you. I love you Sasuke…more than anything."

His voice came out strangled, his emotions stuck in his throat. "I am so sorry."

Sakura nodded. "I am too."

He led her to the bed and she came down with him, her body wrapping and tangling up in his. He held on to her too tightly but he couldn't stop himself. Her head rested on his shoulder and her fingers danced over his chest. For a long time they didn't speak. There were no words to describe what was happening between them. There were no words to describe how he was feeling inside, to have her pressed up against him all Sakura and all present.

His fingers ran over the hair at the front of her head before the braid started. Her hair was soft and light underneath his fingers as he played in there. He listened to the beating of her heart and he was sure she was listening to the beating of his. He held her close to him until her eyes ran dry from tears and she fell asleep in his arms.

Sasuke eased out of the bed and walked over to the door in his room, pulling it open and going to the sink of the bathroom. He washed his hands and his face. He stood there staring at his face trying to make sense of the entire jumble in his head. She was back in his bed again; something he never thought would happen and he wanted her. He wanted her with more desperation that he had ever wanted her before. Desperate he felt like if he allowed himself to think he would become flooded from head to toe, come crashing in and down like a tsunami but he was desperate for her- all of her. He pulled his shirt over his head and washed his face again to try quelling the heat. Water ran down his throat and chest. He didn't need to be this way….he didn't need to want something so-

He turned at the sound of the bed and watched her walk from it to stand in the door way. She was in a shirt that was too large for her and long slacks that swallowed up her body. He craved her down to the marrow in her bones. Her feet were light as they padded across the floor and she stood behind him, hugging him. Her face pressed into his back.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked kissing his spine.

He turned and looked down at her. He smiled and ran his fingers over her long braid. He bent his head to kiss her and when he did, he felt the rush all over his body and felt it anchor in his belly. Need blossomed and there was too much. There was too much distance between them. There was too much space between them as the fire set across his entire skin. How could he ever let this girl go again?

He could tell the desperation took her as her hands found his face, pressing their lips together. It was like they were clawing for each other, reaching out and stretching. Their lips tangled up in each other and she bit his lips, pulling them between her teeth and he groaned. His hand gripped her waist hiking her up in the air and her legs wrapped around him. Her hands were hungry and yearning, running down his neck to wrap around them, tangling in the hair at the back of his head. He pressed her against the wall, his hand moving over her thighs, holding on to her tighter than he ever held on to anything. His nails sank a little into her thighs; hungry.

His body shivered and the hunger turned into a black hole burning deeper and deeper into his body and he pushed his tongue into her mouth. The moan that came from her mouth made him feel like he was suddenly on ecstasy; high. He breathed in the sound, pinning her hands above her head, bracing her against the wall. Her legs wrapped tighter around him, their fingers interlocking and she held on tightly.

He traced her lips with the tip of his tongue and she sighed. The hunger was knotting and twisting in his belly, cramping him. His tongue slicked down her neck and he could feel her trembling. He could drink in her skin. He scraped his teeth against her neck and her chest rose quickly. He swirled his tongue down to her collar bone, his body ablaze with pleasure being pumped through his veins.

"Are you ready?" His voice was antsy and deep as he spoke into her neck.

She nodded and he didn't wait sinking his fangs into her neck. She held on to him in a death grip and cried out, her voice like pure raw sex to his ears. Her fingers squeezed his and Sasuke could not stifle the groan as her blood flooded his mouth. He could feel every part of him erupt and he gripped her even harder, her taste filling and spilling all over his mouth. She tasted better than he remembered, felt better smoothing down his tongue and going down his throat. His control waned, he couldn't help himself and dug deeper.

Her chest pushed up against his, her moans coming from after another followed by the sighs, the struggle sounds as pleasure consumed them both. His hands that pinned hers felt her grip turn to stone, white knuckling his hands and straining. They were going up in flames. He felt all the blood rush to his groin, he felt his muscles tightened and his head fogged. Full. He could feel himself getting full and it was orgasmic. The moment he pulled away and dropped his hands, she pulled him right down and took any remaining self control right from.

She grabbed his face and pressed her lips to his, her own tongue finding its way into his mouth and Sasuke lost his mind.

_Fuuck…. _He thought. He could not take his hands off her. They couldn't take their hands off each other. The fire burned bright and hotter and Sakura had too much clothes on.

She pulled his hands from her and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I'm…shy and afraid." She said breathing heavily.

He held on to her. "You don't have to be. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do." He promised, kissing the side of her neck. "We can stop any time you want."

"I want this…I want you…so much." She paused. "What if I'm bad at it?"

He chuckled. "Sakura, you won't be. Don't be afraid of me."

She pulled back against the wall and Sasuke looked down between them where her legs wrapped around him. She was almost weightless to him and part of him wish there was more, more weight to press down on him. he brushed against her lips. "We can stop any time you want, you don't have to do anything." He repeated.

She smiled and it was almost sinister. "I know," she said running her tongue over her lips.

He raised an impressive eyebrow at her and smirked. He grabbed the hem of her blouse, their eyes hot and lost. She looked down at his hand and her eyes so full of lust became even fuller. She already knew what he was asking her. It wasn't the first time they'd done this. She nodded and Sasuke pulled the shirt from her head and threw it aside.

She had no bra on. "Damn…" he breathed out.

He had seen Sakura naked before but not once in the way he wanted to. Not like this when she wasn't hurt or in any pain. Finally when they both wanted their clothes to be gone. Her breasts were gorgeous beautiful pink rosebuds for nipples and her breasts were big enough to completely full his palm and then some. His hand smoothed around her waist and he stared at her. Just the look on her face- desire ridden made him hard. His hands ran up her waist before cupping her breasts and she nipped on his ear, the moan the dirtiest and sultriest on he ever heard leave her mouth since he had known her. It was aching, strained and her body pressed to him.

He pulled her away from the wall and they were on the bed. Chaos started, her hands were all over him and his heart was thudding in his chest. His tongue ran down the length of her neck, kissing her collar bone before clasping a nipple in his mouth. Her back arched and his hand slipped beneath the slacks she had on. Her chest thrust upward and she sucked in a sharp breath. He could feel the wetness through her underwear and he craved putting his mouth there. He leaned up and traced her mouth with his tongue, sucking on her bottom lip.

Heat came down in the room and he all but ripped the slacks off, taking her underwear with it and throwing it off the bed to the floor. For a second he stared to admire her body, dragging his hands down her chest nipping her nipples and down her belly. He kissed her stomach and he felt it jump under his touch. The tip of his tongue swirled around her navel before trailing downwards. He kissed her thighs – they were shaking.

"S-Sasuke-"

He smirked into her skin before looking up at her with a raised eyebrow from between her legs. "Yeees?" He inquired.

"I'm naked." She stuttered.

He looked at her crotch and smirked even wider. "You are and I'm about to fuck you with my tongue." He confirmed flicking his tongue over her clit.

Her entire body seemed shocked and she groaned. Sakura was all compact and small- untouched. Opening her legs was like opening up a flower. Between her legs was almost too perfect and his tongue moved over her clit before sucking on it. Her moans drove him up the wall, the taste of her having this light tint of sweetness. His tongue circled her clit, flicking over it before he dragged it down slowly to her entrance.

He lost himself in pleasing her and having her writhe and wine beneath him, her moans and sighs filling his ears and making his blood boil. He played with her, teasing her in all the ways he knew how. He was wild, his tongue moving over her clit and sucking on her lips. His tongue pushed its way inside of her but she was still a virgin and thinking about it made him so hard it pained him. He all but devoured her, dinning up and through in the taste of her. Her body writhed under him, her hands gripping the sheets as he made pleasure rain down on her. He could tell immediately when she was about to come and pulled back. Too soon. Too soon. He ran his tongue up the sides of her thighs and pressed his finger to her.

He pushed himself up and hovered over her using one hand to hold himself up, the other still between his thigh. "Do you want to know what you taste like?" his voice was dark, deep and rumbling.

She nodded and he dipped is head, his tongue already in her mouth. Pleasure rushed through him and he forced his finger inside of her. He could feel her wince beneath him but he didn't stop, he pushed his finger all the way in and she bit down hard on his lip, guttural. Her gentle hands smoothed down his chest, wrapping around him and running down his back. He trembled and she moaned in his mouth. She was tight, an almost vice grip on his finger as if she wanted to push him out again but just the warmth of inside her made being gentle such a difficult task. He didn't want her to feel the pain when he forced his finger as far up in her as she could take it. Her nails scraped against his back and his eyes closed, basking in the feeling. He wished she could drag her nails across his flesh harder.

His finger moved in and out, wiggling inside of her. Inside of her was fire hot and wet, coating over his finger and wrapping around him. He could feel each tremble in her body and she twisted, gasping with her eyes shut tight. It was now or never. He searched her eyes and he watched her search his.

He leaned into her ears. She nodded licking her lips. "Breathe," he instructed as he started inserting another finger.

She gasped, her eyes shut tight and a painful groan came from her lips and for a second he thought he had had hurt her but when those eyes opened they stripped him clean down to an animal and he watched the pleasure come through her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

Her hands were so warm against his face, so loving he closed his eyes against them. She nodded.

He was nervous but he wanted her too much to let that stop him. He didn't know how he really expected things to go. Sakura was nothing like the rest and neither was their reunion like any other he had ever had. He stared at her and licked his lips. His face was sly and mischievous. All the things he wanted to do with her, all the things he had dreamed of doing to her seemed to fall second to the one thing he wanted to do right now. He wanted to make love you her until she was in tears, her voice burnt to ash from moaning his name.

Her hands ran down his chest and he followed her fingers trailing down his abs to hook above his shorts. Her hands smooth around his waist, her nails dragging down his back teasingly. She gripped on to his flesh and Sasuke felt the thirst like he was in the desert looking for water. He pulled himself back and stood next to the bed, his eyes hot and sexy with his face sly and daring. Her eyes twinkled but her cheeks burned from flushing. His fingers hooked into his shorts and he raised an eyebrow before he pushed them down and stepped out of them.

Her hand flew to her face to cover it and she turned away. He chuckled and stood there, arms on his hips looking at her expectantly. He climbed into the bed and his touch was tender as he grabbed her, pulling her hands away from her face. She was trembling. He kissed the bridge of her nose, his touch gliding and sliding over her body, his lips pressing into her cheeks.

He was tender, slow and shy but she fell away into him the longer his hands were on her. She relaxed, easing into sighs and groans. Her mouth came for his, devouring him and he let the pleasure ride itself all over her, he let it wash her away and take them somewhere he himself had never even been. He intoxicated her in a way he knew only he could make her and she owned him, he felt like a slave to her hands.

He started losing himself in his feelings, losing himself in everything he had ever felt since the first day he ever saw her. There was no way to describe how he felt then, their naked bodies pressed together. His chest flooded, bursting open with all the love and fear that had driven him this far. Maybe a long time ago he had thought having sex with her would be quick, gripping and climbing like two animals but it was slow and delicate. It didn't happen fast and her nails gripped his skin as he eased into her. He bit down hard on his bottom lip to stop from groaning, a pleasure so erotic and sweet coming down on him. God she was tight. Her eyes alone burnt holes into his chest and through his bones.

He gripped the sheets on either side of her to prevent himself from going too fast, from going too hard and from snapping her body in half. She made him feel wild, rabid and out of control. She made him feel like he was disease ridden and mad and he eased in deeper. She sucked in a sharp breath, her grip on him tight. He didn't feel like himself, he couldn't perceive the level of euphoria that ran through his veins.

He kissed her lips. "Look at me," he whispered. She shook her head, her eyes shut tight. "Please," he begged. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, they were red and demonic. He could not hide from her, no part of himself. She had to see him; she had to see all of him. The curse mark tainted his flesh and for a second he had never felt so insecure about himself like this before in front of her but she did not look afraid, or disgusted at the sight of him. she did not cower away.

She stared at him and he moved and he watched the pain leave her eyes and saw them submerge in the pleasure. Her hands, god her hands were beautiful as they touched him and ran over him. She held on to him with this neediness, this desperateness to have him pressed and close to her body. Her emerald eyes took him by storm and soon she was matching him. Her hands trembled, her back aching up and their bodies moved. They moved together his entire being fracturing as his body sank deeper into hers.

Her legs wrapped around him and his body, all off him fell into her. Her hips matched his thrusts and strokes, her voice full of pleasure and beg against his ears. His teeth sank down deep into her neck and she cried out, panting his name coming off her tongue like the sweetest of wine. He didn't want to lose himself too much but he started getting lost and he moved deeper inside of her, faster and damn did she hold on to him tight. Harder, faster and her nails became hard against his back with her chest pressed into him. Her blood swelled in his body as he moved in and out of her. He'd never had sex that felt so good. He'd never done anything so intimate Sasuke could feel his entire insides shiver.

"S-Sasuke," she groaned gasping, reaching but she couldn't come up from how deep under he had her. He had her drowning in him.

Her teeth sank down into his mouth that was full of her blood, her tongue forcing his way into his mouth. He swore audibly into her mouth with sweat running down his arms and he breathed in the scent of her skin. He could feel her body tensing and his own was so in sync with her he couldn't stop himself or slow himself down. He pinned her hands above her head, their hands tangling together and holding on so tightly both their knuckles turned white.

Then he felt it. He felt it surge through him, hitting him like lightening and shocking him to life. She felt it too the pleasure mixed with pain and the connection between them that had been broken forming again, joining them. He felt piece of him and piece of her meet euphorically and he groaned loudly, his body shivering from it. The tears in her eyes spilled over and the ecstasy felt so good. She cried out loudly her body going through tremors and shivers as she came and his body followed right behind her. He probably shouldn't have but he came inside of her anyway with her hips sinking down into him and his body meeting her half way.

He felt it in his spine, running from his head down to his toe and her body jerked, all of her mixing with all of him. The breath was knocked out of the both of them, his heart beating so fast he thought it would tear through his chest. They were both gasping for breath by the time they were done. For a moment Sasuke was so overcome with pleasure he was completely numb. She winced and groaned in pain as he eased out of her. There was blood on the sheets and he had apparently caused tears at the top of the bed where he had gripped it. He lay on his side next to her and tugged her too him.

Her body was wet and her breathing deeply. "Sasuke?" her voice was sleepy and tired, full and satisfied.

She had no idea what was coming now that they had done that. She had no idea what he was going to do to her. The sound of her voice alone gave him goose-bumps. "Yes?"

She propped up on her elbow and turned his face to hers and kissed him. "Thank you for saving me."

He shook his head. "No Sakura I didn't save you. You…you've saved me." and he did not try to hide the water that built up in his now red eyes. Her hands ran over his cheeks. She is the only person that could love him for the monster that he was. The demon he was.

Her head rested on his chest and he ran his fingers over her hair until she fell asleep. For a while he watched her sleeping. She was peaceful and the thought and knowledge that she would wake up in a few hours to start the day with him made Sasuke the happiest man in the earth. He felt full. He felt full in a way he didn't think he could be full and even though she was asleep, he couldn't stop grinning.

He fell asleep some hours later her body pressed into his. Sasuke did not dream for the first time in a long time and it was beautiful. He had no nightmares clawing their way into his mind nor did he worry in his sleep. It wasn't a restless sleep but rather one that relaxed him like all his troubles were taken away. Even in his sleep he held on tightly to her, scared to death of letting her go.

When he woke up it was a little after midnight, her braid was lose and her mouth slightly open. He eased out of bed and went into the shower. He thought about waking her but decided against it. She had been through more hell than he had and he still didn't know if she was completely okay or if she was putting on a front. He touched his chest as he stood in the shower and his tears mixed with the water that ran over his head and down his body.

He could feel her in his chest. He could feel her the way he used to. He could feel her in that way he was familiar with and how he could feel her emotions, know what she was thinking before she even thought it. He felt like he had her back- something even now he could not believe.

He came out of the shower, dried off and put on a new pair of shorts and the white V-neck t-shirt he had on last night. He stretched his back and stared at her sleeping in his bed but not really. They had to leave this place soon, they had been here far too long but he still wasn't sure if she was ready for that. He didn't know what she was ready for besides this, he didn't know the extent of damage this had done to her.

He sat down at the edge of the bed and stared down at her. He brushed a few strands of pink and silver hair away from her face. "You are so beautiful." He mumbled kissing her forehead.

He didn't want to leave her and his hands shook. He walked down the long hall and stopped in front of the room. He knocked before walking in. Kimurimochi was sitting cross legged on the floor, meditating.

"The duffle bag is under the bed." She said not even opening her eyes.

Sasuke pulled the duffle bag from under the bed and pulled out underwear and a bra. "How are you?" Sasuke asked glancing at her and he was genuinely curious.

Kim hadn't had a body in so long he didn't think it was the same for her right now. Her body was slim figured but strong and full. Her body was tall too with just enough in all the right places. She was taller than Sakura was but Sakura was more shapely because she was shorter.

Her hair was braided down the middle of her head just like Sakura, all the bright luminous colors practically dripping from her hair. Her face was round but her features strong and undeniable. Not very soft. Her skin glowed and she could have been a model with how pretty she was. They really could be sisters he thought starting at the body Kimurimochi now had.

She opened one eye to stare at him calmly. "That's a trick question right?"

"Not particularly." He said shrugging his shoulders and standing there.

She sighed and shook her head. "That's not something I want to talk about." Was her only response.

Sasuke nodded. "Don't worry. You have your boyfriend." He said walking out.

"He is NOT my boyfriend!" She hissed but Sasuke was already out the door smirking.

Sasuke folded the clothes and placed them atop of the dresser in his room so that Sakura would have fresh clothes to put on and then he just stood there staring at her. She had come to his room last night at sundown and she looked like an angel that had fallen into his bed. He leaned against the doorframe. He wanted to be close to her but he wanted to see her, just have a good look at her. She was wrapped up in the sheets, her body now naked underneath them showing herself to him in a way she never used to. There was blood on the sheets-no surprise but he didn't want to wake her just yet to take the sheets off. He pulled off his shirt and climbed back into the bed. Her arm draped over his chest immediately and he grinned. He tugged her to his body.

Her legs intertwined with his legs as she slept, their bodies tangling into each other so much he wasn't really sure where either of them started or ended. He listened to the calming beating of her heart, it was soothing and didn't seem to be frantic or in a hurry like so many times before this. Sasuke felt their heart beats and breathing become synchronized. He knew the moment she began to stir it was almost two o'clock in the morning and for a while, her face just nuzzled deeper into his flesh.

She sighed deeply. "What are we going to do when we get back?" she asked dreamily as if she wasn't even aware she was talking.

Sasuke was sure going back to Kanoha wasn't in Sakura's highlights anymore. It didn't have much to offer her on its own but her possibilities weren't limited anymore. He could give her any chance, any opportunity, any dream or any place she ever wanted. She had options that he couldn't have risked giving her before.

"Whatever you want to do. You don't have to finish school, there isn't much time left but you could finish your exams and get a school leaving certificate. You might not agree with me right now but I think you're going to want that experience in your life."

"So back to school?"

"I'll come back with you. We all will. It's not like we fell off the face of the planet."

"What about Rin?" she asked, wrinkling her face as she rose a little finally waking up. "Where has she been thinking I have been all this time? What has she been thinking with Kimurimochi in my body for such a long time?"

"We've been using spells to take care of her; I wouldn't ruin the one guardian you have in your life. It doesn't take much work to alter what she sees and how she sees it. Krystal has been helping us with that."

Sakura's fingers ran over his hair in awe, a deep look in her eyes. Sasuke knew what was coming before she even open her mouth. "And what about us?" she asked finally. That was really the big question.

"What about us?" he asked simply. " Do you want to leave me?" He said calmly even though the question alone wrenched his heart painfully. They needed to have this conversation anyway.

"What? Of course not. What kind of question is that?" she asked incredulously.

He stared at her blankly. "Then if we aren't leaving each other there really isn't anything to discuss now is there? You're mine. I'm yours. End of discussion." He gripped her chin and pulled her face in towards his to kiss her.

Sakura propped herself up lowly on her elbows and stared at him. There was something about keeping eye contact with her now that made him anxious. He hadn't stared in her eyes for a very long time, it was even worse than before. He watched her carefully and he knew that she would see something in him that she didn't recognize; something she didn't understand. Her hands trembled when they found his again, drawing circles around his palm. Sasuke looked away, uncomfortable with how close she was looking at him because he knew that she could see the difference in him and that frankly frightened him.

"What did you do Sasuke?" Sakura asked carefully then and he could still feel her eyes on him.

What hadn't he done would have been a better question. It wasn't even anything that he had done that was making Sasuke feel afraid and feel guilty about anything. It was her. She was making him guilty for succumbing to the darkness that he'd tried so hard and dutifully to push out after he had met her. Sasuke closed his eyes and a ghost of a smile came across his lips.

"A lot of things."

"Did you hurt innocent people?" she asked uncertainly after a moment.

He chuckled. "I did. I killed a good amount of innocent people too." He said flatly turning his head to stare at her.

He could not hide from her. He could not make her be in love with a dream or half of him. He couldn't…lock it away from her anymore it didn't seem possible after letting it out for so long.

"Do you feel guilty about it?" she asked.

He looked down and sighed. This wasn't really the conversation he wanted to have in the middle of the night. "No I don't feel guilty about that." he responded honestly. "I feel guilty because I knew doing what I have been doing hasn't made me any better for you. I feel guilty because I cannot be better for you and that I could not keep myself together after you were gone."

"I couldn't really keep myself together either." she said nodding. "That doesn't change anything to me. What you were doing, how many people you hurt. It doesn't mean anything to me, doesn't change anything about how I feel about you."

Sasuke knew that shouldn't have been the response he was hoping for but it was. Relief flooded him. He knew how she should be feeling about hearing him even talk like this but it wasn't as if Sakura knew nothing about him. It wasn't as if she didn't know all the things he was capable of because she did. He knew it wasn't something she should be okay with or that she shouldn't be okay with how easily he could make her forget that side of him even existed but he was glad that she didn't care. Their relationship wasn't something healthy for her but she had never been afraid of him before. Sasuke stared at her for a second as that sank deep into his skin. Even when he told her what he was she was not afraid.

"I'm not a good person Sakura," he admitted looking away, "I try hard to be. I try to look out for those I care for, to protect them and to guide them but I am not a good person."

"You are a good person to us. You are good to your Knights, you are good to your cause and you are good to me." She said instantly. "We can't all be good to everybody. I know that now. You know who I was before this; I even took blame that was never mine to take. I let people walk all over me, honey I stayed weak because I thought that would make me a better person but it doesn't. It just made me a fool. You have yourself destructive tendencies and so do I, in a lot of ways I'm not a good person either."

That made him laugh at little and he smiled. He kissed her on her lips. "Let's go somewhere." He whispered mischievously.

"What right now?" she stuttered shocked.

"Yes right now." He said pushing himself to his feet from the bed and pulling her out of the tangles.

"Where would we go?" she asked staring up at him.

He plucked up a shirt and the sweatpants she had on the night before. "You don't even need to shower." He said almost giddily.

She winced; her body sore and he help her into her clothes. He smirked down at her and she flushed, looking away. He pretended as if he wasn't ogling at her putting her clothes on. He laced his hands in hers and she didn't even question him. She followed. Sasuke remembered the hallways and lead her through one after the other until they ended up outside in the nights air after Itzel had showed him how to do it. The moon was high in the sky and the atmosphere full of the scents of flowering plants.

He bent down and Sakura didn't hesitate to climb on. She sucked in a pained breath and he turned his head little to look at her. "Okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "I'm great."

He could hear it in the distance. Water hitting on more water, fast and flooded. Sasuke had never been to the waterfall before but he had heard it the first of his arrival here. He wanted to see it and what better things to do than bring her with him? He let the sound of the waterfall guide him until eventually they were there.

It was beautiful. The waterfall was incredulously high, the water tearing down from atop of it a hitting in the water bed below with power. Water was splashing everywhere as the water hit into the pool below. Rocks, so white and dark brown rose up all around it, with the trees and forest surrounding it as if trying to protect it. The moon hung bright over head, lighting the water in a beautiful silver glow- it glistened and looked far deeper than Sakura cold ever perceive. She watched the water flow downstream, over large rocks and trees that seemed to lean all the way from the banking to touch the water. It was gorgeous.

Sasuke slid her to her feet and she walked closer. He let her wander and stare in awe. It was a beautiful place this island here.

He grinned. "Let me see how deep it is," he said but before she could even protest, Sasuke was in the water and he vanished below the surface.

The water was lukewarm as it coated all around his body. He didn't know if she was still uncomfortable with being naked around him, damn it was just yesterday so he stayed under giving her enough time. He came up in a rush, water running from his hair and face. He wiped his hand over his face before holding his hand out. She smiled sheepishly and pulled her blouse and slacks off and dived in laughing. How could a woman be so much of a mystical amazing thing like she was?

She threaded the water in front him and pulled him towards her, kissing him. He looked at her like he was making wine or something out of her. He ran his hands over her hair. "I've missed you."

She nodded. "I have missed you more."

His hands smoothed around her wait before sliding down, both palms pressed against her ass. He raised an eyebrow. "Missed me more you say?"

Her eyes darkened cesspools. Her hands wrapped around his neck and she nodded. "Hold your breath." He said and then submerged them.

What were they if not one thing, drowning in each other?

_**There you guys have it! Another Chapter! I have my finals now so there might not be a update next week but I will TRY MY BEST to make it happen. I hope you all loved this chapter and that things didn't escalate too quickly. I'm really nervous about this chapter so I hope you all loved and enjoyed it! **_

_**Endless Love,**_

_**D.V**_


	70. Chapter 70

_Guys, I know it's been a long time and I know so many of you guys have been concerned about me and why I haven't been updating. I have been going through a tremendously hard time so much that I've rewritten this chapter around ten times. I just don't know, it never seems good enough but this is what I've come up with. I Hope I've answered a lot of questions, some questions I suggest going back to chapter 68 because I answered a lot of things with respect to Sakura (and her memories) but I hope you guys read and enjoyed this update. Thank you for understanding. __**WELCOME! PLEASE, READ AND ENJOY!**_

_**Title**__**:**__**Natsu no k**__**ō**__**ri**__**no**__**Fuyu Kasai**__** (winter's fire summer's ice)**_

**Standard Disclaimer Applied**

**I formally apologize for any grammatical errors. Being my own editor and writer among other things is hard.**

**[Chapter Seventy]**

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and tried not to chew her nails down to the bone. She was starving. She was starving in a way she never thought she could ever starve.

"I didn't think it was possible to be this hungry." She muttered to herself, wincing and pushing herself up further on the bed.

"She'll be here soon," Ino said forcing a smile before casting her eyes down.

"Yeah I know I'm ghastly thin again." Sakura said rolling her eyes. "You don't have to be so dejected. Do you remember Twilight?"

Ino sized her up for a second. "Don't even say it." she warned.

"I'm telling you, I'm low key Bella right now. I imagine this is what it must have felt like." She said shrugging with a smile.

"You're not nearly that dependent and you're not pregnant." Ino said laughing pushing herself from the bed to start pacing for the millionth time.

Sakura wasn't sure how she was supposed to remain calm when Ino couldn't even keep her emotions in check.

Sakura snapped her fingers at Ino, pointing her index finger at her in a 'gotcha' motion. "Aha! But, I could be." she said forgetting her hunger and pain long enough to grin from ear to ear. "I damn sure as hell could be," she laughed.

"How's your stomach?" she asked for the thousandth time. Ino stopped in her pacing to look at Sakura with concern.

Sakura threw her hands up with a shrug. She was quite tired of not having anything good to say every time Ino –or anyone else for that matter- asked her that question. Her pain tolerance was already remarkably high and the pain had subsided just enough for her to be able to have regular conversation most of time now. However, period pain wasn't something she had ever experienced and apparently, Ino couldn't comprehend the pain level either because Sakura was eighteen and just seeing it. It had been five days and her flow had not decreased any at all, if anything it had gotten heavier.

Ino chewed her lip. "Let me have a look again."

"No!" Sakura said quickly. "It's only been half an hour I'm sure it's still there. This is just a complicated situation."

Complicated was somewhat of an understatement if she was being honest with herself but Ino was already freaked out of her mind and she didn't want to make that worse. She had noticed the difference before she wanted to admit after taking back her body. It didn't feel right for so many reasons and one of them had been being stuck between human and nonhuman, having no middle ground belonging to neither of them simultaneously. She couldn't have survived in that state. She had made her choice.

Asanephpahad known what her choice would be from before the option was even put towards her, Sakura strongly knew that. After all, She was a Goddess of course she had known whatever course of action Sakura was going to take to begin with. Everyone had known and on the way back, Sasuke had taken her to an isolated –basically ruined- Kavazwalian Temple. When she was there, Sakura agreed that yes, she wanted to become and the first breed of this Achite. Her kind was made to procreate with Sasuke's specie and she had agreed, to be Her 'prophet'- a bridge between the living and the Godly. All hell broke loose after she stepped out of that temple to head home.

"Your belly shouldn't look like that Sakura." Ino sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

Sakura was sure her stomach shouldn't look like the way it did either. There were taught sickly looking veins running along her belly, the skin seemed so stretched it looked like it would tear. The pain had started ripping at her stomach in Sasuke's bathroom when they arrived home after an unspeakable sexual session between them. When she had seen the blood coming from her she had screamed in horror. The pain in her stomach had been almost too unbearable for three and a half days. It had her bawling, shivering and shaking when it just started. Her bones, joints and muscles pained her so much she could barely move an inch or two. She trembled and shook like a violent leaf in a storm, unable to hold anything for even a short period of time. The cramps were maddening, it made her want to rip the hair from her head it was so awful.

She couldn't no matter what feel enough pain though to make her regret what was happening or hate it. She knew what this might mean for her and she had never been so grateful. While she hadn't seen anyone to confirm she was sure it meant that there was now full possibility that she might be able to have children.

That was something she had never thought would be possible at eighteen years old having never had her period in all her life before now. She had been too sick, too unhealthy with too many abnormalities to even carry a child. It had devastated her once she was around fifteen and old enough to really and truly understand what it had meant for her. She wouldn't be able to bear her own children and when she had met Sasuke, it was something that nagged at her subconsciously because she would not be able to give him a family and she knew after long enough he would want one.

Well at least that's what she had thought when it just happened. She had thought that seeing her period had opened up a door –and maybe it had- but things weren't getting better. The opposite was happening and it was happening fast. From she had stepped out of that temple her diet was something she couldn't understand, she hated human food and no matter how hard she tried, she hadn't been able to keep any of it down. Sakura hadn't had a meal in eight days which in and of itself shouldn't be possible.

Sakura knew deep down what she had to do but she couldn't bring herself to kill anything. She couldn't bring herself to live or eat the way Kimurimochi killed and ate. She couldn't devour things like that. She couldn't eat things that had been decaying for weeks or years or days that was repulsive. She felt the hunger, oh boy did she feel it, and she felt the thirst, greediness and monstrous desire for it –to rip something to shreds and eat it but she couldn't. There was still some human in her, Sakura couldn't kill. She wouldn't.

"Ino, come and just sit down please. You're starting to make me antsy." Sakura said kindly patting the bed next to her. "Let's just watch some television."

There was a knock and the door opened. Atona pushed her head in skeptically. "So like what? Are you just going to die or something?"

"I hate disappointing you Atona, really I do," Sakura responded earnestly, "But I just don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon."

She smiled but Sakura could see the worry in her eyes. "Damnit, here I thought you were a goner." She said walking in and closing the door silently behind her.

"Oh look at you, dressing up to try and go get some dick. I'm so proud." Ino snickered.

Atona's thick brown hair was dropped down in waves down her back, a beautiful thick fish braid at the front of her head almost like a crown. She was in a sweetheart close fitting white top and a long cotton royal blue skirt that stopped at her ankles, a slit all the way up to reveal navy blue shorts at the side. She flipped Ino the bird.

"I'm glad you're proud of me," Atona said rocking from side to side tonight. "How do I look?"She asked seriously.

Sakura's head fell back and she groaned. "Must you be so self oriented when I'm starving and probably dying?"

"You literally just told me you weren't dying."Atona informed her casually. "Now tell me! I have a date, do I look okay?"

Sakura cracked one eye open to stare at her. "Who are we dating?" she demanded curiously.

It was nice getting to know Atona again. There was the feeling of familiarity –it was there with everyone she spent her days with- but nothing more than that. There were few memories to go along with that and familiarity didn't make her feel any closer to them, any more comfortable. Besides from Sasuke, it was strange that it was Hinata that she remembered the most and that was saying something because she had forgotten a lot about Hinata and their times they spent together. She had no memories of Naruto whatsoever when she came back into this body, didn't even know his name. Memories came back to her every day with her some of her past being restored once she was in her body again.

She had known Atona well –she could feel it- because the longer she spent around her the more things she knew on "instinct". Every day she remembered more things about individual people- every day they became less and less like strangers but she knew it was still going to take some time.

"Wouldn't you like to know. He's nobody."

"Must be some nobody if they've got you dressed up like that," Ino noted.

"Yeah well it's nothing. Could you guys just please focus?"She snapped.

Sakura sighed heavily and forced her other eye open to look at Atona. She was now beyond exhausted as one would expect from not eating and bleeding continuously for days. "What's the matter? Is something wrong with him?"

She glared. "Nothing is _wrong _with him. He's perfectly fine." She snapped hastily. Sakura raised both eyebrows. "Sorry I don't mean to be so snappy about it."

"What's his name?" Sakura asked anyway eve n though she knew by now that Atona couldn't handle when people pried into her business.

She hissed and glared. "Really Sakura? You're going to be that girl right now?"

She shrugged. "Don't call him a 'nobody' when he obviously means something to you. That's rude and that's you saying you're ashamed of him whoever he is and I'm sure he wouldn't like that."

Ino shifted on the bed and yawned. "I'm sure you've realized your mistake in coming here because now our interest has been peaked and we need answers. So what's his name?" She asked in a bored voice.

Atona glanced at her watch. "Nicolai Johnson. Yes before you ask, he is American."

"So what's the problem?" Ino demanded. "Like I can feel your nervousness from here and really Atona it's disgusting me."

"There is no issue!"

"Ino is basically psychic; she can tell when you're lying. Trust me. She knows these things." Ino nodded in agreement.

"Must you be such a cunt Ino? I try so hard to tolerate you but you really make it an active duty to drive me up a bloody wall. I'm going to be late. He's twenty one and a paraplegic. He doesn't want to meet mother, it makes him uncomfortable every time I bring her up. He's even uncomfortable about me, tonight is our first date. That is all I am saying on the matter."

Sakura sat up straighter and immediately regretted it, pain slicing through her body. She groaned and winced. "He's a what?" she asked in a strained voice.

"Now that's an interesting story if I do say so myself. If that's the case I'll help you out with the compliment you've been begging us for. You look alright."

"I agree," Sakura commented. "You look really nice; lovely really and I like what you've done to your hair b y the way. I think the bow in your hair though is a little much. Take it out."

"Your honesty is beautiful." Atona remarked taking out the white bow in her hair. "That's all I wanted to know that I look nice. My phone is going to be on so call me if anything happens okay?"

Sakura waved her off. "I won't be dead, I promise. Go and have a good time." She assured her as nonchalantly as she could be.

Atona forced a smile and ducked out of the room. Sakura released a big breath of relief, screwing her face in pain and then struggled to lay down in the bed after sitting up for so long. She turned on her side and tried not to cry out from the pain. The headache was incredible and she didn't think she could converse anymore. Weakness had taken over her. Her eyes hurt so badly they felt like they were about to pop like a grape right out her skull.

Ino's hand fell softly on her shoulder. "Do you want the heating pad?" she asked softly.

Sakura nodded minutely and took deep breaths, her hand pressed against her empty stomach. It felt like her stomach was eating itself it was so intolerable. Sakura took the pad from Ino and pressed it against her stomach, grateful for the little relief it provided. She was dizzy and nauseous but had nothing left to eject from her body.

Ino lay down and pulled Sakura in her arms. Sakura cuddled up next to her and closed her eyes, trying not to think or to feel. They should have been back already and she was trying not to worry. Sasuke knew what was going on with her so Sakura knew he was moving as fast as he was able. Kimurimochi was the only person that could really help Sakura go through this. She had lost so much weight in just eight days. Her eyes and cheeks were sunken in; her skin had this pasty look about it not to mention the bags under her eyes. Her lips were chapped –no matter how hard she licked them. She didn't feel as strong as she knew she could feel; as strong as she should feel.

"They'll be here soon." Ino cooed, running her hand over Sakura's head soothingly.

She didn't want to lose this opportunity. She didn't want to be sick again. She didn't want the opportunity to have children be taken away from her if this progressed to a stage that couldn't be fixed. She was ovulating, she was seeing her period and she didn't want to never see it again because she had starved herself. She wasn't doing this on purpose, nobody even really knew what Achite's ate except Kim and Sakura wasn't in a full Achite yet. It wasn't something that was going to happen all at once Asanephpa had told her.

Sakura was asleep when she heard all the commotion.

"Sakura you need to get up right now." A stern female voice said and immediately Sakura knew who it was.

Her eyes opened and she groaned. Being unconscious was her best fight against the pain. Pain didn't scare her in any way nor did it make her nervous but it was something she didn't particularly enjoy feeling. Well… she smirked in her head at the thought of Sasuke. That kind of pain was an entirely different case in and of itself. She had the heat pad clutched to her belly and she groaned as Ino started helping her up.

"You don't have to talk to her like that you know," Ino muttered shaking her head.

Sakura leaned back on the wall, the pillows on her bed helping to support her back. Kimurimochi did not respond and Sakura hadn't really expected her to. It had only been a little while, she still wasn't used to having to be kind and friendly to these people.

A hand grabbed her chin and suddenly Sakura's eyes were looking directly into Kim's. "Why the hell didn't you call me?" she demanded angrily. Sakura could see the tears in her eyes along with her anger- she had been worried near madness. "Do you think I wanted to find out what was happening from your boyfriend?"

Sakura felt the guilt of course but she was more grateful than anything else to see Kim that she wanted to cry herself. "Did you bring food?" Sakura croaked.

She hissed. "Yes we did, what do you think we've been out for hours doing?" She asked sarcastically. She was so sassy these days."Firstly you need to get into that bathroom and clean up."

"I can't."Sakura forced herself to say fighting against the aches and the pain, her palm pressed to her stomach.

"Well you don't have much of a choice. Your period flow is ridiculously heavy, I can tell that your pad is full and you cannot –don't look at me like that I'm helping you here- you cannot have your first meal dirty. You _must_ be clean. It's clean or naked and you can't be naked right now. I told you all of this already."

"Where is the food?"Ino asked.

"The food is coming!" Kimurimochi snapped. "Sasuke has it, he was right behind me but I had to run come ahead to make sure you were still in your right mind first. You're going to need to put this on too." She pulled out a blindfold from the back of her black baggy cargo pants.

Ino leaned forward to take it and Sakura's eyes closed. "Why?"

"It'll smell good but for a while it's not going to look good. I know you. If you see what I'm going to be feeding you, you're going to let yourself starve."

"Alright, just get the damn food already she's basically starved!" Ino clipped frustrated and taking Sakura's arm. "Just go I'll deal with this. Come on Sakura, it won't take long I promise." Ino said.

Sakura's breathing was deep and she gritted her teeth and bit down the scream that sent fire through her diaphragm. She would not scream. She was not a screamer unless she was fucking her boyfriend. She would take the pain like she didn't feel anything. She nodded her head and moved Ino's hand pushing herself from the bed. She refused to let anyone help her shower and do things an able person should do. She was going to do it alone, she knew how to shower. She gripped the bedpost, took some deep breaths until the world stopped spinning and looked at Kimurimochi.

"Go it's fine." She assured her before making her way to the bathroom.

Sakura grabbed her towel from the door and closed her bathroom door. She was shaking, her grip weak on the towel in her hand but she went into the shower anyway. She stripped from her clothes and started to take a shower, doubling over when the pain took her. She got up each time. She looked down at her stomach, flat but the skin looked transparent. She could see the veins running under her and through her skin; she could see the taut black one, thick and sickly looking.

Her senses weren't at their highest nor were her abilities to pay the needed attention to her surroundings but she could smell the food when it came near and her mouth began to water. She hadn't smelt anything that was remotely kind to her nostrils in days. Her stomach began to growl with hunger and a sudden wave of nausea came over her and she felt like she would vomit. Quickly as she stepped out she got dressed, putting on a clean pad and sitting on the toilet cover, head down breathing deeply. If she puked again, blood was going to come up and that wasn't good, she was losing too much already.

There was a gentle knock. "Babe?" Sakura groaned in response unable to answer and interrupt her deep breathing. The knob turned and Sasuke glanced in. "Can I come in?" he didn't even let her answer he closed to the door behind him.

She could hear him sigh audibly. She lifted her head to stare at him and he stood there at the door for a second, just taking her in. She didn't have to ask, she didn't have to say anything she already knew how this was driving him insane. It hadn't been any time at all and she was already stressing him out.

"Some things just don't change huh?" she said weakly.

He shook his head. "That's nonsense." He disagreed, pushing himself from the wall and grabbed the blouse at her feet and knelt before her.

Sakura left him help her into her top. They stayed like that for a while, him kneeling on the floor, his hands covering her hands, her forehead pressed against him. He could create the wave of calm inside of her when it all felt like it was too much. She closed her eyes, his hands touched her cheeks and he let his thumb run across her cheeks. She was in the most unattractive state and he still made her feel like she was wanted more than anyone could ever want anything. It was strange how he did that.

"Did you vomit since I've been gone?"

She shook her head. It wasn't as if there was anything left for her to vomit anyway. She was just insatiable at the moment. He kissed her and Sakura held on to him longer than she should have to keep the kiss the innocent action she was sure he had intended it to be. He chuckled against her cheek, a deep sound that ran down her arms like silk.

Sasuke stood and then he held the blindfold up. She shook her head. She wanted to at least look at it, maybe not while she was eating but still. She took his outstretched hand and groaned deep in her throat from the ache. He pushed the door open and Sakura saw Ino leaning with her hand over her mouth, back turned in the corner where the drawing of the angel was. She was leaning over the small garbage bin in the corner. Kimurimochi stood arms folded in front of her three large coolers.

"Ino?"

Ino fanned her hand at Sakura. "I uh…" she shook her head. "Yeah no. Absolutely not. I can't do this."

"What's the matter?"

"Sakura you're in safe hands now, you'll be okay. I'll call you when I'm home to check on you but I am not staying here with… with this thing you call your friend. I will take no part in this."Ino yanked open Sakura's room door and slammed it on her way out before Sakura couldn't even open her mouth.

Kim laughed and shook her head. "The thing is Sakura," Kim began before Sakura could say anything, "this has nothing to do with morals or beliefs, your friend doesn't understand that and that's why she is unable to support this even though this is the only way. That's okay. You can't blame her or be upset, nor can I. You however have no choice."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura sat down at the foot of her bed, leaning against the post. She was breathless from that little walk, her head spinning.

Sasuke sat down next to her and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers intertwined. Her stomach contracted. That was one of his serious No Nonsense postures. She wasn't going to like this she knew and she was probably going to react like Ino if Sasuke was gearing up for something.

"You need to understand that you're not human anymore. You can't live like them, you can't operate on the same codes or beliefs like they do because you're not like them- not anymore. The right and wrong line right now has become increasingly and dangerously blurred. It's better if Ino isn't here."

"It's also better if you know from now that you are –willing or unwillingly- going to eat what we've brought for you whether you like it or not." Sasuke stated simply. "I already know you want to, I can tell but things will get different once you realize what it is exactly you're this hungry for."

"Guys," her voice didn't shake like she had thought it would have, "what's in there?"

"Are you sure you don't want to just keep the blind fold on?"Kim asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll tell you what it is afterwards and you won't vomit it back up."

"I think you should." Sasuke said sighing. "You're not going to be comfortable with this otherwise. We've done our best to-"

"Sakura, you're starving. You're eating end of discussion. I didn't go through what I went through for you not to."

"Why am I getting this speech?"

"You're getting this speech because you're fighting to hold on to your humanity which isn't something you particularly have anymore. There is going to come a time when you're going to have to get your own food and you might have to kill to get it. There are going to come times when the 'animal' in you and what you're becoming will want control and you're going to have to let it because it's who you are." Sasuke said turning his head to look at her. "You caused this on yourself not because you're afraid to do what needs to be done. You're afraid because it's something you want to do and you keep telling yourself it's wrong."

Sakura held her hand up, her annoyance obvious on her face. She didn't want to hear any of it and she didn't want them talking down to her like she was a child. There were things she was going through that they wouldn't understand and she didn't expect them to. Neither of them had to fight for themselves the way she was being forced to fight for herself. There was darkness in her future and she did not want to be consumed by it.

"Save it for later. I want to eat."She snapped. Sakura didn't think they also got that she hadn't eaten in a weak and just hearing them talk and talk was irritating.

Kim looked down and ran her hands over her face. "I'm not sure we brought enough food." She mumbled.

"You have three coolers, how much do you think I eat? I probably won't be able to finish one."

Kim laughed loudly then and looked at Sakura like she was naive. "You have no idea how much you eat now. Neither do I and you've been starving. Alright, let's get you fed you damn baby."

Sasuke slipped the blindfold on and Sakura closed her eyes for good measure. She could tell the second the sealed igloo opened. Sakura couldn't describe the scent or the flavors that touched her tongue but it made her ravenous. It made her want to tear through an entire crowd to eat. She seemed to fall into the blissful and beautiful mouthwatering scent of the food.

"Hand," Kimurimochi ordered. Sakura complied and cup was placed in it. "No questions. Drink it."

Sakura didn't question anything. She drank perhaps far faster than she should have. She downed it all in one go, her jaw and tongue tight from the sudden shock of flavor that slipped down her throat. She moaned in bliss. It was cold and she could feel it hitting everywhere in her body, revitalizing every inch of her. Sustenance. She hadn't had it in so long her head ached even harder. She wanted to laugh with how amazing it was. She didn't know why but it was so good, felt so right and smelt so amazing even that it made her want to laugh- sing even.

Then the food came. She wasn't aware of anything except her sense of taste. She didn't ask what they were feeding her; she didn't ask why it tasted so good. She didn't care. She just wanted more. More. Eat more. Keeping eating. More.

She could feel when they placed a piece of some kind of meat in her hand but Sakura moved through it like it was nothing. Sakura would have said something but her mouth was full with this thick, firm food in her mouth. Sakura gnawed and chew through even the bones. Her teeth seemed to sharpen, snapping and tearing through everything. Even the crunch made her happy.

"This is unsettling." Sasuke stated as Sakura ate.

She could feel herself getting better and better. Her mood was already perked up and she felt happy. It felt like she was eating and drinking for hours but that couldn't be possible. She was surprised she could even consume so much food either. She felt revitalized and so pleased. She wasn't even hungry anymore, she was just eating for the sheer taste.

"Well that's it." Kimurimochi said blowing down. "I sure hope you're full."

"What? You have three-"

"They're all empty now." Kimurimochi interrupted.

Sakura nodded. "I do feel full." She stated which was the truth. She felt exhausted too; all that eating and chewing had taken a lot of energy out of her.

They pulled off the blind fold and Sakura had to blink hard against the sudden light. She glanced at her hand and paused. For a while she just stared and no one said anything. Sakura blinked. Her hand was stained with red with blood. It had coagulated some parts on her hands; it was caked and smeared under her nails and all over. It didn't smell like it had always smelt to her which was metallic like rust and old, stale and wrong. It smelt like life and good, the metallic scent more appealing – so appealing that she couldn't compare it to what she used to smell. She knew it was blood though, she knew blood anywhere and if there was blood whatever she had just eaten had been raw. She pressed her lips together and prevented herself from flipping out.

She pushed herself from her bed and went to the bathroom where she washed her hands under hot water for about five minutes. When she came out she said nothing still. She climbed on to her bed in silence. Her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Let me see your stomach." Kimurimochi ordered walking over to the edge of bed. Sakura pulled up her blouse and allowed Kim to investigate. The pain had eased tremendously now. "It will start to go away now." she muttered more to herself than to Sakura.

Sasuke just stood there, hands over his shoulder at the end of the bed watching them. She didn't want to see the pleased chaotic look in his eyes; they would drag her into hell so she didn't look at him. Kimurimochi sat down next to Sakura on the bed and touched her forehead. Sakura had no idea what to say let alone how to feel. She wasn't sure that whatever they told her she just ate would make her feel better.

"Sakura you don't have another option." Kimurimochi said, her eyes flat but beautiful. "I hope you know that. You had two choices and this is the one that you've made. You can't push it aside and pretend like you didn't. You can't pretend like you can live the same way you have always lived, some things have to change about the way you do this. You cannot deny the instinct that is becoming who you are- becoming what you are. Own up to this."

"What did you just make me eat?"

"Who." Kimurimochi corrected. "The question is 'who did you make me eat?'Not what."

The change came over Sakura's face, her stomach sank in and her heart seemed to have stopped beating. If she was set afire instantaneously that would shock her much less. Her throat was tight but it wasn't tight enough. She was not nauseated and that terrified her.

"What?" she asked confused. "I just ate-"

"People." Sasuke responded flatly. "Yes you just ate people. Three of them to be exact,"

Her hand covered her mouth and her eyes closed. "No." she denied. "No. You did not make me eat…no you didn't."

"Firstly it's not cannibalism if that's what you're thinking. If you were human you wouldn't even have been able to bite through the raw skin much less all that muscle and bone. Secondly we didn't _make _you do anything you didn't want to do. They smelt like food not like people."Kim responded sighing. "Sakura honestly I can't put up with this complex you're going through, nobody here is judging you. I'm not, Sasuke isn't."

"Who were they?"

"Sakura-"

"WHO WERE THEY!?" Sakura barked, her eyes blazing with a rage she could not control.

"There were two girls and one boy. Satsama was 16 and dead for two weeks. She's where most of that bone and crunching came from. They boys name was Hitano, he was twelve with cancer, stage V. His sister Taku was much younger. They'd been sick for more than half their lives with no home and no family. His sister died two days ago and you ate her first." Sasuke said frankly, his eyes hard and emotionless as he stared back at her.

That threw Sakura over some kind of edge and she rose from her bed and started walking away. She walked out of her room, down the stairs, slipped on her shoes and then simply walked out of her house in the middle of the night and out into the open air. She didn't stop she just kept moving. She ran her hands through her hair and held on to it. The very tips of her hair were starting to look Lilac but she wasn't sure if she was imaging it or not.

Tears swam in her eyes and she couldn't wrap her mind around it. She'd just eaten three children like they were nothing. Their blood was on her hands, smeared and embedded in her body. How could anyone be okay with this? No wonder Ino had gone home, she couldn't tolerate it whatsoever.

"I don't to be a monster," she whispered to herself as she walked down the barren streets at almost three in the morning. Her stomach pained her still as she walked however it was massively less than before and more than tolerable.

She knew how Achite's were. Kimurimochi had told her the way that she needed to eat. She'd been told what her body craved and how they were creatures that were almost one and the same with Nature. They took from it, ate from it, slept in it and were more or less in sync with it. She couldn't eat dead and decaying or the sickly or anything that was living like people or dead for so long.

She didn't want to murder living things the way that it seemed like she would have to- the way she even wanted to because it was wrong. She knew right from wrong. She always had from a child growing up right? The more she thought about it he more of a lie it started to seem though. She had never been normal enough to honestly know right from wrong – what seemed right to her wasn't something a lot of other people could have lived with. Sasuke had been right. It wasn't that she didn't want to do these things; it wasn't that she was even afraid really but all her life it had been wrong. She was denying herself because it wasn't right. It wasn't right. Then if it wasn't right, what really was?

She wasn't someone who succumbed to desires like this; she wasn't someone who couldn't control themselves. Children. She just ate _children. Children._ She just ate children and she had enjoyed it far more than she had enjoyed anything else in her entire life. It was the best thing she'd ever had in her life, the taste and textures lingering in her mouth. She hadn't even asked questions, didn't even notice all she knew was that she was eating something amazing and something she wasn't going to throw up. She wanted to throw it all back right now but for some reason she couldn't, her body wouldn't let her. She took deep breaths. Her mind was racing. She shook her hands wildly as if to help calm her down.

Almarkham looked different from what she could vaguely remember from her last visit. She had never come here alone before. She had never thought she had that right, this wasn't a place for her but now it was. It felt like it was hers too and Sakura sat down on the grass and lay back. Was it a crime for her to be holding on to the person she knew she was? Was it wrong for her to be reluctant to do these things? How could she accept this part of the deal? How could she be okay with who she was now? She thought if long enough time passed things would be okay and she would be able to just eat like a normal person but that wasn't the case, she knew that now. She had learned the hard way.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. This was going to take some time. That couldn't helped. This was the way things were going to be. As more days passed the less she was whoever she imagined she was before this body and who she was when she just got it back and the more she became who she was supposed to. The thirst, the monstrous and crazy thing inside of her was still there and every day it got harder and harder to ignore it. There was this thirst that seemed not satisfied being beat down and pushed down every day. She couldn't keep doing that.

She heard him before he was anywhere near her. It wasn't long before Sasuke was there sitting beside her. She had know after a while he would have followed her. He would chase after her no matter where she went. That thought made her smile a little.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted.

"Whatever you want to do," Sasuke said his voice that soft smooth voice she was used to.

"I just…"

"Yes you did. I –Sasuke Uchiha your boyfriend- am the one who went out to help get them for you. I did all the dirty work, I did that for you because you were hungry and that's what you eat."

"How can you be okay with this Sasuke?"

"Sakura it's who you are now. How can I not be okay with that? You are one of us. I've been a murderer from the day you met me, if anything I've gotten aggressively worse and uncontrollable and you're completely okay with that. You shouldn't be- even as a human you should never have been but you are."

"It doesn't bother you?"

He chuckled. "I really don't care. Maybe you've forgotten but your boyfriend eats souls. That's how I survive and I love it. I've always seen humans as part of my food chain- naturally. I've mostly always only seen humans as food, as they are for many Kavazwalians." He admitted stretching out beside her. "It was strange to me and unnerved me watching you eat that but at the same time I've never seen you do anything that impressed me so much. I thought it was extremely sexy."

Sakura propped herself up on her elbow to stare at him with a confused face. He stared right back at her with that look in his eyes that she had come to know all too well. It was a look that burnt her clothes from her body and brought out this whore inside of her. She could see it in his eyes, their glossy state that he wasn't even underestimating. She could see it that pleased impressed look on his face. Dead sexy. She looked away and blinked, trying to break herself out of the trance he had just casted on her.

"Stop it." She muttered.

"I think you want me to reject you and be disgusted by you. Does it throw you off how much I like it? For I do like it a whole fucking lot,"

Her face flushed even deeper than before, so much her jaw pained her. Sakura bit down the snarky remark that was on the tip of her tongue. Focus, she told herself. "Just a little bit. You seem to like this version of me a lot more."

"I do." He agreed. "Can't imagine why you would think otherwise. Which you can't blame me, I've always dreamt of you becoming one of us."

"Was something wrong with the old me?"

"Do you even remember the "old" you?" Sasuke countered calmly. "I don't think you do."

"I remember more every day." she defended.

"You were too nice, too meek and scared of everything. Granted, you've always been fucked up which I have always been drawn to." He mused. "I like who you are now more than who you used to be. I like the change you're going through, I like who you're becoming – all of it and yes that includes the fact that you enjoy eating the deceased. I like that you don't take bullshit from anyone anymore, even if it's me and that you can defend yourself. Call me crazy but I'm in love with you, I have always been in love with you Sakura. I will always be in love with you unconditionally."

She turned to him, skeptical. "You love me like this?"

He broke out into a smile and nodded even his eyes twinkled. "Yes, I very much love you like this." He pulled her down towards him by her blouse. "I love that you're not done either."

Sakura lowered her head and kissed him, pressing her lips against his. He gripped her and she rolled on top of him. She could have ripped off her clothes then and there from his touch heightened by her hormones but Sakura pulled away. She couldn't possibly, she was in no state but she could see the look in his eyes. If she was ready that wouldn't have stopped him. Sakura laughed before rolling her eyes.

"This isn't okay." she banged her head against his chest.

"It is okay." He assured her. "It's only been a couple weeks. It's going to take some time to figure things out."

Her head rested on his chest and his arms wrapped around her. She breathed in his scent. "You knew who they were,"

He was silent a while. "I figured that you would want to know once I told you that they were humans. We had to prepare them for you too so," her body froze in his arms. "You need to know this. I don't expect you to ignore what just happened you just need to accept it."

Sakura buried her face deeper into his body. "That doesn't make it any easier."

"Well you're not crying so it's fine really. You took it better than I had expected." he praised. He gripped her hair and pulled her head up until she was staring directly at him. "Stop being afraid and stop thinking that I can't handle you. You already know that I can. We both know that this doesn't scare you. The only thing that frightens you Sakura is yourself and me."

Sakura had her fears- she wasn't a fearless woman but her fears were few and Sasuke was indeed one of them. She was afraid that all that had happened to her would happen again. She was afraid that Sasuke would get up and leave her again like he had the first time. She woke up at nights in cold sweat, paranoia washing over her with how strong the fear was. It hit her hard when he walked out of a meeting with that grim look on his face, she felt it when she woke up in her bed and he was not there. Anytime he got into his serious posture and any time they disagreed her heart would race and her mind would go 'oh god he's going to breakup with me again."

It was a kind of fear she could not get rid of, a kind of fear that only increased as more memories came back to her each day. She couldn't own up to it or run from it. It was like she had post traumatic stress disorder. She feared it because it was hell, pure hell. It gave her such terrible anxiety attacks when she didn't expect it, her heart caving in on her chest. She didn't think she could go through that again but the wounds were too fresh for her to let her guard down and but her love also too strong for her to hide it.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Now now, we both know lying is an unbecoming thing." He sighed. He pulled her face down to kiss her. "We should get back home."

She shook her head. "I think I'd rather just stay here with you. I don't feel like going back right now especially after, well you know."

Sakura's fingers played in his soft hair and she listened to his breathing- thinking. She wanted to finish school and go to college, become a doctor and help people. How would she do that now? Had she given up her opportunity for this kind of life? She wasn't even sure how things were going to go or even how she was going to live because of her own choices.

Kimurimochi and Sasuke were both right. She couldn't pretend like she was human anymore because she wasn't. She had to learn about who she was becoming now, she had to learn about what this would mean for her and how her life was really going to change because of this. She didn't see Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Hinata, Shikamaru or anyone else she had met as monsters. If she didn't see them as anything different or evil how could she view herself that way when she was now one of them?

She couldn't deny this. Sakura admitted as she listened to the beating of Sasuke's heart that she was afraid of the power that she felt inside herself. She'd thought of it as blood thirsty, monstrous and dangerous but it really wasn't. She was just scared to feel it. It didn't seem like something she should have because it was something she had gone so long without. She was not weak. She had never been weak before but she let people use her, mistreat her and she could not protect or defend those she loved. She had the opportunity now but it was such a burden, the power she felt so intense Sakura did not know what to do with it.

"I want you to understand something Sakura. Lots of things," Sasuke said breaking the silence. "I just don't want to overwhelm you with too many things at once."

Sakura was basically asleep but her heart jumped at the sound of his voice. God it was sexy. "What is it?"

His hand played idly in her hair. "You're becoming a symbol and weapon for Kavzwalian society. Besides you and Kimurimochi, there are no other known or living Achite's. The both of you are not the same either. Once you're finished with this Awakening you're going through, I don't want you as a secret anymore. I know you don't feel any form of responsibility or obligations to Kavzawlians more over after everything has happened-"

"I can handle it." Sakura assured him immediately. "They don't intimate or scare me. I strongly believe I just need some time but I'll get the hang of this, I'm not worried. I know the responsibilities that I have grow each day, Asanephpa told me that it will."

"You're going to have to be involved, probably as much as I am involved in this. There is more chaos now than ever, you know this. It's hard for me to keep you quiet at the moment while you go through this but I don't want you to think it's going to be like this forever."

"It won't be and I'm okay with that." Sakura said softly. "I'm in a completely different world, I'm going to be meeting different people and I carry a very big weight on my shoulders. Faith has been gone from Kavazwalians for a long time since Asanephpa's fall. Chaos is bound to come because of her return after so long. People have lived and died without knowing Her. It won't be easy for them to accept me either, a human girl waltzing into their community with so much power and superiority over them."

"It will be even harder because you're going to be on my arm. A lot of people are going to take it the wrong way and you're going to hear things- things that are probably true. You know there are a lot of things I've had to do behind your back that I could never tell you."

"I know that,"

"I don't want you to be surprised at the things that you start finding out. The things I could never tell you because I had to think about you and protecting you. I do not want you to resent me for it."

Sakura nodded then. It really didn't matter to her. "It doesn't change anything and while I am afraid of a repeat, I am not afraid of you or who you are. I'm not going to run and hide, if that was a possibility it would have happened already. Believe me it would have." She assured him.

He didn't say anything. Sakura already knew where he going to head in this conversation all too suddenly. She was sure he going to bring it up and her heart was hammering in her chest because they hadn't spoken about it since.

"It's pretty easy to say that when you still don't know what your boyfriend has been doing behind your back. I don't want you to feel betrayed by me."

"I've seen you at your worst and your most desperate Sasuke and I was still in love with you then. I still don't know the things you had to do behind my back when we were together or where you went when you had to go out for hours and I don't hear from you. But I understand why I couldn't know and I understand your position." Sakura paused. "And what else?"She pried.

"I don't want to overly influence you either." He responded. "Like the other night,"

And there it was. He had brought it up. Sakura had tried not to think about it. The thing was, it was not an awful experience but it was one of the most naked and personal things she had ever experienced in her life. It made her want to cringe at the kind of way she had released herself, the kind of way he had received her. Thinking back on it, it must have been pure madness. Sakura hadn't known where the strength or gluttony had come from. Sakura rather cry and wane over the events that just passed- the children she was forced to eat than talk about this.

Sakura forced a laugh. "We are far more similar than I would like to admit at the moment. I know we are, how can we not be after the things you've done and the things I've experienced? When we're both naked we're both awful monsters that like awful things, you see a side of me that terrifies me. That's a part of me that…" Sakura trailed off and casted her eyes down, "I never knew I was such an angry person, I never knew I was so aggressive and used to pain. I don't know who I become or why I become it. I think that's the rawest state of me –and of you. Even when we're like that, nothing changes between us." Saying those words left a bitter taste in Sakura's mouth.

That was the truth. Sakura's madness came out once the clothes were gone and door was closed that night. It was something else she couldn't talk about with anyone not even herself. They left with bruises and scars, dents and rips in each other that night. It was a monstrous, gargantuan thing that was unexplainable. They were two bulls in a pen sometimes two swans in a lake. It was the only time Sasuke allowed himself to be less than gentle, to show every inch of him that should frighten her but only made her want him even more- made her lose herself in the most primitive kind of way. He had lost all control with her too.

Sakura pushed herself up and looked at him seriously. Sasuke hadn't brought it up and Sakura hadn't either. They had been ravenous; wild demons together. Sakura's nails had cut and drawn lines of blood against his back so deep blood had ran from them like water through a stream, his left shoulder had been red and raw from when it had slammed against the wall. There had been his finger prints around her…Sakura's finger tips touched her neck. _Animals._ Sakura thought. They had been animals over come with feeling. She shook the thoughts from her head.

"If I was not afraid of you then why should I be afraid of you when we are clothed?" Sakura shook her head then. "It isn't as if you never told me you had things to do you can't tell me about. You did. I won't feel betrayed. It doesn't matter, I don't care."

"After all I've done and been, I fear the things you learn will make you leave. I don't have to explain that fear to you because you already know that I feel it."

She did. She felt that fear in him when he slept, especially when they were on their way back from that island. It had a vice grip on him that he didn't even let her go when she was next to him. He was afraid that she would change her mind and leave him because of the mistakes he had made. He was afraid that she would not be satisfied with him because he made her so many promises he had been unable to keep. She could feel his worries being as in tuned to him as she was, the nightmare that had welted itself into his skin, and the abrasions that had been left.

"I've never wanted to run, I've never thought about it."

The feeling of his fingers in her hair was sending her to sleep. "Gives you an idea as to how I feel about you then."

"How is that you're managing to make me feel like this is all okay, after what I've done?"She smiled.

"You've done no different than a man eating chicken for dinner." He paused. "I'm not going to make you do this alone either, we will do it together. If we have to be monsters together than that's just fine," He assured her.

Staring into his eyes Sakura could not feel monstrous even though she knew that was part of her. She couldn't feel neglected or wrong or disgusting- not with the way Sasuke looked at her. She felt awful in a way she could not even describe after what had happened tonight. She hated herself for it more so because she didn't shed a tear, she didn't vomit and her reaction wasn't the way it was really supposed to be. Looking at Sasuke though set her into an ease that she didn't understand, it didn't matter to him.

Sakura gently touched his face. She could only accept all that was happening and get accustomed to it. She just had to do what she needed to do whatever that meant. She smiled at him because she couldn't help it. She arrived here completely distraught and here she was; the feelings she came here with almost gone. How could she have ever stopped herself from loving this boy? She couldn't have prevented it even if she tried. There was no way she would have been able to escape it. She was born with his soul, a soul that had now become her very own. No. She was born to love him, wholly and in his entirety.

"I love you Sasuke Uchiha." She whispered because even when this body was hers no more, even when she couldn't remember anything the love she had for him had never gone anywhere. That was the one thing that had not changed.

There were a lot of questions that were yet to be answered, so many things left open ended but they had so much time to figure it out. Everything was changing but it was all going to be okay. She was no psychic but Sakura could see far enough ahead just to know that everything that needed to work itself out would. She was going to be okay and so was everyone else. There was only learning and adapting to do but they had been on this weird path together from the moment she got here. The only thing she was sure of was that it was right to love all those who she loved. In this world as far as Sakura could see that was the only thing that mattered. That was the only thing that was always right.

"And I love you Sakura Haruno, more than I have ever loved and will ever love anything."

_**I know there are some things left unanswered and there are some more things you guys would personally like to see (and things I KNOW I should have put in this chapter but didn't) So just let me know in the reviews some of the holes you found because this is a complicated story so there might be things I never cleared up or mentioned. Let me know the questions you guys have as well.**_

_**I Hope you guys liked this chapter and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. I AM SO GREATFUL TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AND THE WAY YOU GUYS CARE ABOUT ME AND THIS STORY. **_

_**So Grateful To Each and Every One Of You**_

_**Endless Love, **_

_**D.V**_


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